SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Case Adjournments

Rosemary McKenna: To ask the Solicitor-General what steps the Crown Prosecution Service is taking to reduce the number of unnecessary adjournments in the courts.

Mike O'Brien: The Charging Programme is a key method of reducing unnecessary adjournments. If the police and CPS can get cases prepared properly before the defendant is charged, the unnecessary delays can be avoided later in the process.

Crown Prosecution Service

John Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General what recent assessment he has made of the value for money provided by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Mike O'Brien: I have regular discussions with the CPS about expenditure, performance and efficiency. Key projects delivering good value for money include charging, greater in-house advocacy and electronic case management.
	A recent National Audit Office (NAO) report has provided useful advice on value for money.

Revenue and Customs

Russell Brown: To ask the Solicitor-General whether the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office is meeting its performance targets.

Mike O'Brien: The Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO) came into being on 18 April 2005. Longer-term performance indicators and targets are being developed as part of the strategic aim to establish RCPO as an effective and fully independent prosecutor.
	Currently RCPO is achieving a conviction rate of 88.6 per cent. and guilty pleas are running at 75.9 per cent. For 2005–06 to date, £18 million has been collected in payments from confiscation orders.

Electoral Registrations

Greg Hands: To ask the Solicitor-General what assessment he has made of the conduct of prosecutions in relation to the non-completion of electoral registration forms since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: Prosecutions for election offences are conducted by the Special Crime Division of the Crown Prosecution Service.
	If electoral form means the form for registration as an elector, Special Crime Division is unaware of cases having been submitted concerning the non-completion of such forms. It therefore follows that no assessment has been made of them.

Terrorism

Julian Lewis: To ask the Solicitor-General what his policy is in respect of prosecuting (a) citizens of the UK and (b) non-UK nationals resident in the United Kingdom who have (i) taken-up arms against UK or other coalition forces and (ii) trained in terrorist camps before returning to British jurisdiction.

Mike O'Brien: There is no difference in prosecution policy towards the prosecution of either UK or non-UK citizens. All cases sent to the CPS are reviewed in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors whatever the nature of the allegation or the nationality of the suspect. A small number of offences such as murder abroad can only be prosecuted if the perpetrator is a UK citizen.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

School Repairs (Leicester)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will visit Leicester to discuss school repairs.

Jacqui Smith: Leicester City is in Wave 1 of Building Schools for the Future, our strategic programme to transform the secondary-school estate over 15 years. I would be happy to visit Leicester when the first new school is finished. Leicester City and its schools will be allocated over £280 million in this and the next two years to improve and repair their buildings.

Trust Schools

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what powers new trust schools will have beyond those already available to foundation schools; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Hammersmith and Fulham.

Three-tier Education

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the Government's policy on three-tier education.

Jacqui Smith: The Government's aim is to ensure every child receives an excellent education tailored to their needs. It is for local authorities to determine the most appropriate organisation for their schools to achieve this aim—including whether to operate a three or two tier organisation. The Education and Inspections Bill reinforces the position of local authorities as the commissioners of education in their areas, and places new duties on them to promote choice and diversity and respond to parental demand when carrying out their responsibilities.

Truancy (West Midlands)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the truancy levels in schools in Coventry, South and the west midlands were in the last period for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: The Department does not collect data on the levels of truancy. In 2004/05 the level of unauthorised absence in Primary schools in Coventry South was 0.2 per cent. and for Secondary schools 1.1 per cent. The figures for the West Midlands were 0.37 per cent. for Primary schools and 1.08 per cent. for Secondary schools. Truancy forms only one part of the unauthorised absence figures.

Volunteering

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Government are taking to increase the numbers of young people involved in volunteering activities.

Beverley Hughes: The Government are working very closely with the Russell Commission to meet the challenge of one million new young people in volunteering and community action over the next five years. We will be building on the success of the Millennium Volunteers programme which has engaged over 240,000 young volunteers since it was launched by this Government in 1999. The recently published Youth Matters: Next Steps" sets out the strategic direction for this work.

Adult Education

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of adults who enrolled for (a) further education courses and (b) adult and community learning courses already had qualifications at (i) level 3 or above, (ii) level 2, (iii) level 1 and (iv) below level 1 in the academic year (A) 2002–03, (B) 2003–04 and (C) 2004–05.

Phil Hope: The Labour Force Survey (LFS) winter quarter can be used to provide estimates of the prior qualification levels of learners on further education (FE) courses and adult community learning (ACL) courses. The estimates corresponding to academic years 2002–03 to 2004–05 are shown in the following table.
	
		Prior qualification level of adult learners in further education and adult community learning institutions, England -- Percentage
		
			  LFS quarter 
			 Institution type Winter 2002 (2002/03) Winter 2003 (2003/04) Winter 2004 (2004/05) 
		
		
			 Level 3+
			 FE 41 42 39 
			 ACL 42 38 40 
			 
			 Level 2
			 FE 31 30 31 
			 ACL 28 26 20 
			 
			 Below level 2(1)
			 FE 22 21 23 
			 ACL 21 26 23 
			 No qualifications(1)  
			 FE 6 7 7 
			 ACL 9 10 17 
		
	
	(1) For qualification levels below level 2 the categories provided match those used in the LFS, and differ from those requested.
	Note:
	Adults are defined as men aged 18–64 and women aged 18–59.
	Source:
	LFS Winter Quarters 2002–04

Basic Skills

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made towards (a) improving the basic skill levels of adults, (b) ensuring that one million adults in the work force achieve NVQ level 2 between 2003 and 2006 and (c) increasing participation in higher education for those aged 18 to 30 years by 50 per cent. by 2010.

Phil Hope: From April 2001 to July 2005,1,275,000 adults have achieved a qualification in literacy, language or numeracy and have counted towards the Skills for Life" PSA target.
	The autumn 2005 Labour Force Survey shows that the number of adults in the work force with a NVQ level 2 or higher qualification has increased by 841,000 since autumn 2002, the baseline for the 2006 milestone of the adult level 2 PSA target.
	The Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR) measures progress in relation to the target to increase participation in higher education toward 50 per cent. of young people aged 18 to 30. The provisional figure for the HEIPR for 2003/04 was 43 per cent., up from 41 per cent. in 1999/00.

Child Care

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the availability of child care for parents who work at weekends; and if she will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: We do not collect centrally data for the availability of child care for parents who work at weekends. However, the Repeat Study of Parents' Demand for Childcare (2002)" survey captures information on the use of child care. It reported that around 22 per cent. of lone parent households and 11 per cent. of couples used weekend child care.
	The Childcare Bill, which had its 3rd reading in the House of Commons on the 9 March, places a duty on local authorities to secure, as far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient child care in order to enable parents to take up or remain in work or education and training.
	Local authorities will be required to assess the needs of parents, including for child care at weekend and other atypical working patterns, and take them into account when deciding how to develop strategies for meeting local need.

Child Care

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many childminders have been registered since the introduction of the new light touch voluntary accreditation scheme announced in Budget 2004.

Beverley Hughes: 9,102 childminders have registered with Ofsted since 6 April 2005 when voluntary accreditation was introduced. The Childcare Approval Scheme (GAS) is for two groups:
	providers of childcare provided in the child's home—for instance a nanny;
	and childminders providing care for children over the age of 7.
	1,632 carers were approved under the (CAS) in the same period. We do not distinguish between these two groups in the data collection.

Child Care

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what capital investment from her Department has been spent on the provision of child care services for three and four-year-olds; and if she will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The General Sure Start Grant made available £335.8 million capital in 2004–06 for the delivery of children's services. Local authorities have been given the freedom to use funding to develop a range of provision including creating children's centres, expanding playgroups and nurseries; this includes child care provision for three and four-year-olds.

Child Care

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what child care services the additional capital investment in (a) 2006–07 and (b) 2007–08 will fund; and if she will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The General Sure Start Grant will make available £420.7 million in 2006–07 and £392.4 million in 2007–08 in capital funding. Local authorities have been given the freedom to determine how best to invest these funds to deliver the Ten Year Childcare Strategy, including the development of children's centres, extended schools and other child care.

Children's Centres

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what types of early interventions children's centres are expected to offer families with a disabled child;
	(2)  how many disabled children, as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, have received a service from Sure Start local programmes.

Beverley Hughes: The Sure Start Children's Centres Practice Guidance, published in November 2005, states clearly that disabled children should be fully included in all services provided by children's centres. It highlights the need to tailor services to meet the needs of individual disabled children. It outlines appropriate services, including: family support, portage and home-visiting; key workers to help parents of severely disabled children access services; therapy; early years provision and information. It also indicates that children's centres should use the Early Support resources and approaches to provide effective early intervention.
	Information on how many disabled children have received a service from Sure Start local programmes is not available centrally.

Degree Systems

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she plans to take to reconcile (a) the two year accelerated degrees proposed in the 2003 Higher Education White Paper and (b) the five and six year medicine and dentistry courses with the three cycle degree system proposed in the Bologna process.

Bill Rammell: The Bologna process is about responding to the challenge of globalisation and improving the competitiveness of European higher education. While it seeks to improve the compatibility and comparability of European higher education systems, it is not about harmonisation.
	Work on the feasibility of two year accelerated degrees in England is being taken forward through a series of pilot exercises in a number of individual higher education institutions (HEIs). Before we take any decision about enabling HEIs to offer accelerated degrees more widely, we will need to be satisfied that the learning outcomes from such courses are equivalent in terms of the knowledge, competences and skills acquired by students to those of a more traditional course.
	Medicine and dentistry courses prepare students not only in the theory of their subject but also give them a range of practical experience leading ultimately to a licence to practise. The arrangements in other European countries are similar. The implications of the Bologna process for medical and dental qualifications also need to be considered alongside EU directives on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications within EU countries. The higher education sector is currently considering, with expert stakeholders from both the medical and dental fields, whether any further action is needed to align these courses more closely to the Bologna principles.

Degree Systems

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to protect four-year mechanical engineering courses following the proposed three cycle degree system under the Bologna process.

Bill Rammell: Four year courses leading to a Masters qualification exist in a number of higher education institutions in several scientific disciplines. I understand that they are popular with both students and employers. Decisions on whether or not to offer such courses are a matter for individual institutions. Provided these courses achieve learning outcomes that are equivalent to those of the more traditional Bachelors/Masters model, that they conform to the Bologna principles.

Degree Systems

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance she has issued to higher education institutions on how best to engage with the Bologna process.

Bill Rammell: The Department works closely with the sector-wide UK Higher Education (HE) Europe unit to raise awareness of the Bologna process among higher education institutions (HEIs) in the UK. Last year the Europe unit produced a guide to the Bologna process for the sector. The unit holds regular discussion groups and conferences on Bologna themes and issues policy position statements and newsletters. The Department also works with the network of UK Bologna promoters that is funded by the European Commission. They are based in individual HEIs and are active in supporting the implementation of Bologna process across the UK.

European Institute of Technology

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations she has received from higher education establishments on the European Commission's proposal to establish a European Institute of Technology.

Bill Rammell: I have received direct representations from Universities UK (UUK) on the Commission's proposal to establish the European Institute of Technology (EIT). I understand that some UK universities also wrote directly to the Commission about this. The universities raised a number of concerns about the proposal, including the risk that the EIT would unhelpfully divert funding from the Framework Programme 7 or the European Research Council.

European Institute of Technology

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the European Commission's proposal to establish a European Institute of Technology.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 27 February 2006, Official Report, column 530W.

Exam Results

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2006, Official Report, column 678W, on exam results, what the average A level attainment of entrants to undergraduate courses leading to qualified teacher status has been in each year since 2002–03, based on the best three qualifications; and what proportion of entrants attained (a) at least (i) 360, (ii) 300, (iii) 240, (iv) 180 and (v) 120 and (b) fewer than 120 points in their three best A levels in each year since 2002–03.

Bill Rammell: The information is not held centrally. The data collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on the highest qualification of undergraduate entrants shows the number of A levels obtained and the total A level tariff score, but because tariff scores are not collected for individual A levels it is not possible to derive the tariff score for the three best A levels.

Labour Market Needs

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what forecasts of future skills and labour market needs have been carried out in each of the local Learning and Skills Council areas; and what steps have been taken to act on the data collected.

Bill Rammell: All local LSCs are required to prepare a plan for each financial year. The plan includes an assessment of the skills and training needed to meet the needs of individuals and employers in the area; and proposals on how the local council intends to carry out its functions, and achieve the objectives and priorities identified in the plan. Plans for 2006–07 are being finalised and will be published on the LSC's website shortly.
	Data on skills and labour market needs in each of the local Learning and Skills Council areas is also contained in the Working Futures 2004 to 2014 reports, commissioned by the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA), and available on their website at www.ssda.org.uk. Local LSCs will be using this information to inform their plans.

Parliamentary Questions

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she expects to give a substantive answer to question reference 55453, on early years programme funds, tabled by the right hon. Member for Birkenhead on 27 February.

Beverley Hughes: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 14 March 2006.

Special Advisers (Overseas Visits)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many overseas visits special advisers in her Department made in an official capacity since January 2004; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost.

Ruth Kelly: Since 1999 the Government have published, on an annual basis, the total costs of all ministerial overseas travel and a list of all visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500. Copies of the lists are available in the Library of the House. Information for the financial year 2004–05 was published on 21 July 2005, Official Report, 158WS. Between 31 January 2004 and 31 January 2006, a special adviser accompanied me on one visit to Brussels. The travel costs of special advisers accompanying Ministers on overseas are included in the annual list of overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers. Information for the financial year 2005–06 is in the process of being collated and will be published when it is ready.
	All official travel by special advisers is undertaken in accordance with the guidance set out in the Ministerial Code" and the Civil Service Management Code".

Student Loans

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many graduates are waiting for their 2004–05 student loan repayments to be transferred from HM Revenue and Customs to the Student Loans Company.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 14 March 2006
	Some borrowers' student loan accounts have not yet been updated with 2004–05 repayment information as there have been some delays in HMRC processing Employer's Annual Returns for 2004–05. HMRC anticipates that the bulk of all 2004–05 Employer's Annual Returns will have been processed by the end of April 2006. We will not know how many accounts are affected by this delay until all returns have been processed, as not all student loan borrowers will have been due to make repayments. However borrowers who have made repayments will be able to calculate from their payslips amounts they have repaid and thus the balance outstanding.

Sure Start

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Sure Start places there are in each local authority area of England; and how many places there are per 10,000 children in each area, ranked in descending order.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.

Sure Start

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when the Government will report on progress on the Sure Start targets of an increase in the proportion of children with (a) satisfactory speech and language development at age two years, (b) normal levels of communication, language and literacy at age five years and (c) normal levels of personal, social and emotional development for their age; and if she will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The Department for Education and Skills' Autumn Performance Report 2005" (Cm 6719) explained that the Sure Start targets set in Spending Review 2002 for increases in the proportion of children aged five reaching normal levels of communication, language and literacy and normal levels of personal, social and emotional development for their age, will be measured under Spending Review 2004 public service agreement (PSA) target 1. The baseline and target for PSA target 1 is currently being established and will be available in the next departmental report, which will be published later this year.
	The final 2005 figures for the foundation stage profile in England were published in Statistical First Release 03/2006 Foundation Stage Profile 2005: National Results (Final)" on 16 February 2006, a copy of which is available on my Department's website at www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/
	The Sure Start language measure assesses children with satisfactory speech and language development at age two in Sure Start communities. The proportion of children both with high word count scores and whose parents were free of concerns about their child's development rose from 73 per cent. in 2003 to 76 per cent. in 2004. Results for 2005 will be available in the next departmental report.

Teenage Pregnancies

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy in the eastern region.

Beverley Hughes: Following the launch of the Government's Teenage Pregnancy Strategy in 1999, each local authority was asked to put in place a strategy to reduce local under-18 conception rates by between 40–60 per cent. by 2010. These local targets underpin the national target to halve England's under-18 conception rate by 2010. Local strategies focus on: improving the effectiveness of sex and relationships education (SRE) in schools; improving young people's access to contraceptive and sexual health advice; and supporting parents so they are better able to talk to their children about relationships and sexual health. This is supported by a national media campaign on local radio and in teen magazines, with key messages on: the benefits of delaying early sex; resisting peer pressure; and promoting condom use among young people who are already sexually active.
	Data for 2004 (published in February 2006) shows that since the 1998 baseline year, the under-18 conception rate has fallen by 11.1 per cent. and the under-16 rate has fallen by 15.2 per cent. Both rates are now at their lowest levels since the mid-1980s. The decline in the under-18 conception rate in eastern region over the same period is 13.4 per cent. A full analysis of the causes of teenage pregnancy will be included in a strategy document setting out the next phase of the teenage pregnancy strategy, due to be published shortly.

Top-up Fees

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research her Department has commissioned on the likely impact of the new top-up fees regime on the number of EU domiciled students choosing to study at higher education institutions in England.

Bill Rammell: The Department has not commissioned any research on the impact of the top-up fees regime on the number of EU domiciled students studying at English higher education institutions. However we will continue to monitor student numbers and any trends in applicants from EU countries. The cost of travelling to and living in the UK will continue to be an important factor in any decision taken by EU nationals who wish to study in the UK.

PRIME MINISTER

Aircraft Sales (Iran)

Theresa May: To ask the Prime Minister on what date he was first informed of the letter written by Mr. David Mills to Baroness Symons in 2002 on Government assistance for the sale of aircraft to Iran.

Tony Blair: I have nothing further to add to the letter sent by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary (Jack Straw) to the right hon. and learned Member for Devizes (Michael Ancram) on 24 January 2005.

Alistair Campbell

Ben Wallace: To ask the Prime Minister what work Mr. Alistair Campbell has undertaken for the Government since January 2005.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis) on 20 December 2004, Official Report, column 1353W.

Cabinet Discussions (Iran)

Theresa May: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  on what basis the decision was first taken that the right hon. Member for Dulwich and West Norwood (Tessa Jowell) should not participate in Cabinet discussions on Iran; and what the basis is for her continued absence from such discussions;
	(2)  on what date the right hon. Member for Dulwich and West Norwood (Tessa Jowell) first absented herself from discussions in Cabinet and Cabinet Committees on matters relating to Iran;
	(3)  on what date the decision was taken that the right hon. Member for Dulwich and West Norwood (Tessa Jowell) should not participate in Cabinet discussions about Iran.

Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the occasions in the current Parliament when members of the Cabinet have withdrawn from discussions in consideration of actual or perceived conflict of interest.

Tony Blair: I refer the right hon. and hon. Members to the press briefing given by my official spokesman on 13 March 2006, a copy of which is available on the Number 10 website. Information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet is not disclosed.

Departmental Estate

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Prime Minister what the total cost of building work at 10 Downing Street has been in the last three years.

Tony Blair: The Downing Street complex, made up of Numbers 10, 11 and 12, is maintained to standards appropriate to its Grade 1/2 listed status in consultation with English Heritage. The building also fulfils an important representational role.
	The total cost of refurbishment, maintenance and structural improvements for the whole Downing Street complex in the last three years has been:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2002–03 420,085 
			 2003–04 547,911 
			 2004–05 471,566 
		
	
	Figures for 2005–06 are not yet available.

Honours

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister whether he has been informed by the House of Lords Appointments Committee of the reasons why certain recent nominees for a peerage were rejected; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 27 February 2006, Official Report, column 36W.

Honours

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if he will reconsider his Department's response to the recommendation of the Public Administration Select Committee to set up an independent honours commission; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: The Command Paper Reform of the Honours System" (Cm 6479) sets out the Government position. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.

In-patient Treatment

Khalid Mahmood: To ask the Prime Minister, how many people were waiting more than 15 months for in-patient treatment in (a) March 1997 and (b) January 2006.

Tony Blair: In 1997 5,733 patients were waiting for more than 15 months. Waiting lists by time band for the period January 2005–06 were published by the Department of Health on 3 March 2006 and can be found on the Department of Health website and in the Library of the House.
	In my answer to the right hon. Member for Witney (David Cameron) on 8 March 2006, Official Report, column 813, I inadvertently said that almost 300,000 people used to wait more than 15 months for their operation in 1997. This should have referred to the almost 300,000 people who waited more than 6 months for their operation in 1997.

Official Residences

Philip Davies: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) to move out of the Home Secretary's official residence.

Eric Pickles: To ask the Prime Minister on what date the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) left his official residence.

Tony Blair: My right hon. Friend has already done so.

Patronage

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects the House of Lords Appointments Commission to give its approval to the latest list of nominations for the peerage; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 27 February 2006, Official Report, column 36W.

Peerages

Lynne Jones: To ask the Prime Minister what factors he took into account in recommending Sir Nigel Crisp for a peerage; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: As I said at Prime Minister's questions on 8 March 2006, Official Report, column 813W, Sir Nigel Crisp was a superb public servant who has overseen a transformation in the health service. He will be able to make a significant contribution to the work of the House of Lords.

State Opening of Parliament

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had on the Sovereign's role in the State Opening of Parliament.

Tony Blair: Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Flood Prevention

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will increase expenditure on flood risk prevention measures, including the maintenance of existing defences.

Elliot Morley: Government funding (central and local) for flood and coastal erosion risk management has increased from £307 million in 1996–97 to an estimated outturn of some £600 million in 2005–06. Defra funding allocations have been fixed up to 2007–08 and for later years will be considered in the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review in 2007.

Flood Prevention

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what percentage margin of error she has allowed for her predictions of sea level rise on the East coast of England over the next (a) 10, (b) 20, (c) 50 and (d) 100 years;
	(2)  what the average level of sea rise was over the last 10 years on the East coast of England due to (a) climate change and (b) isostatic change; and what estimate she has made of the rise over the next (i) 10, (ii) 20, (iii) 50 and (iv) 100 years;
	(3)  what criteria were used in making the decision to require the Environment Agency and other operating authorities to assume that isostatic change on the East coast will be 1.5 mm a year; and what account was taken of the latest UK Climate Change Impacts Programme data in making the decision.

Elliot Morley: The Department does not issue predictions over these time periods. The UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) is funded by Defra and based at the university of Oxford. Their projections for sea level rise were last updated in November 2005 and are given in the form of ranges. For Eastern England these were from 17 cm (low emissions of greenhouse" gases, lowest estimate) to 77 cm (high emissions, highest estimate), including isostatic subsidence of 0.8 mm per year, for the period from 1975 to 2085. (The years 1975 and 2085 are the mid-points of the periods to which these estimates relate—1961–90 and 2071–2100 respectively.)
	These ranges indicate the uncertainty inherent in such predictions which increases the further into the future one attempts to predict. There is significant inter-annual fluctuation in sea levels due to long-term tidal cycles and meteorological effects. It is not therefore helpful to look at relatively short-term changes over a single decade. The underlying rate of relative sea level rise in South and East England that takes account of both land level change and sea level rise has been of the order of 2 mm per year for recent decades.
	The Department used the range of estimates published in the UKCIP 2002 report (from 22 cm to 82 cm for Eastern England for the period 1975 to 2085, including isostatic subsidence of 1.2 mm per year) as the basis of recommended allowances for use in the design and appraisal of coastal defences over the next 50 years that aim to balance appropriate precaution with the need to avoid expenditure on unnecessary works. For Eastern England the recommended allowance is 6 mm per year or 48 cm for the period 1975 to 2055 compared to the UK CIP estimate under high emissions of 42 cm for the same period. We are in discussion with the Environment Agency regarding appropriate allowances for the latter part of the century and expect to issue further interim guidance later in the year.
	The changes between the UKCIP 2002 and 2005 estimates reflect changes in the isostatic (land movement) estimates. The main source on long term land movement in the UK, used as the basis for this recommendation and the UKCIP reports is the work of Ian Shennan at Durham university. The Defra recommended allowances have not been changed to reflect the 2005 change in estimate of land subsidence in Eastern England published by UKCIP. This and other evidence will be considered when the allowances are next reviewed but it is clear that they still represent a reasonably precautionary approach to the middle of the century. In view of the long term nature of coastal risk management investments and the time taken for project development, it is desirable that there should not be frequent fluctuations in the Defra recommended allowances.

Flood Prevention

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Treasury on setting a figure of 4.5 mm a year for sea level rise over the next 100 years for every tidal location in the UK as the basis for developing flood management strategies and shoreline management plans.

Elliot Morley: Defra has not had any specific discussions with HM Treasury on any particular estimates of sea level rise. The 4.5 mm per year is the average predicted sea level rise for every tidal location in England and Wales. This allowance is adjusted for long term land movement. The guidance was reviewed in 2003 and no changes were recommended. These allowances are published on our website and are subject to periodic reviews.

Flood Prevention

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the degree of variation between national and local data on sea level rise (a) along the Suffolk coast and (b) in Suffolk estuaries; and if she will take steps to measure local variations.

Elliot Morley: No specific studies of these local variations have been made by Defra, though the national studies supported by the Department take account of data from the national network of tide gauges, including those at Lowestoft and Felixstowe. There are no plans for more local studies. They would be matters for the local operating authorities to consider, though caution would be needed in ensuring that any apparent short-term local trends were representative of wider underlying changes.

Flood Prevention

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what account is taken in the allocation of capital grants for flood and river defence schemes between coastal and inland flood defence projects of (a) national priorities for protecting parts of the coast within areas of outstanding natural beauty and (b) maintaining high levels of employment and economic activity within these areas.

Elliot Morley: In order to be eligible for Defra grant, capital improvement projects must satisfy basic technical, economic and environmental criteria and the priority score requirement for the year in which they start.
	Economic justification for proposed investment should as far as possible take into account benefits arising from protection of all assets, including those relating to the environment and economic activity such as tourism. Higher benefits in relation to costs will tend to increase a proposed project's priority for funding. No specific extra priority is given in the scoring system to projects which would reduce flood risk to areas of outstanding natural beauty but such a benefit could be included in the scoring system insofar as it could be quantified. The scoring system does not allocate grant between coastal and inland sites. Individual projects are considered equally for grant using the same criteria regardless of location.
	It is important to note that the priority scoring system does not attempt to determine the need for defences in an absolute sense but to prioritise proposed projects so that finite funding is allocated to best effect nationally.

Flood Insurance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what representations her Department has received on the availability of insurance to those who have been affected by flooding;
	(2)  what steps she plans to take to ensure that (a) commercial and (b) domestic properties in areas prone to flooding can obtain insurance cover;
	(3)  what discussions she has had with (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on insurance for properties prone to flooding.

Elliot Morley: The Government continue to work with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) with a mutual aim of continuing affordable domestic flood cover into the future. The ABI has agreed and published on their website a Statement of Principles" which sets out the commitments made by the insurance industry to maintain flood insurance cover for the majority of domestic and small business properties at risk in association with commitments made by the Government on flood risk management.
	Decisions by insurers are risk-based and unfortunately the industry is not able to provide insurance cover to 100 per cent. of properties at risk. Representations have been received relating to cases where people have experienced problems in obtaining insurance cover. However, the number of such representations is in line with our understanding that cover has continued to be available at competitive cost to the vast majority of properties in areas at risk of flooding.
	Policy on insurance in general is a matter for Treasury. Officials from Treasury are included in our discussions with ABI but otherwise I have had no specific discussions on the matter with either the Chancellor or the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

Mobile Telephone Masts (Guildford)

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has issued notice of contractual terminations to mobile phone companies relating to mobile telephone masts located in her departmental offices in Epsom Road, Merrow, Guildford.

Jim Knight: The Department has not issued a notice of termination to any mobile phone company in relation to telephone masts at its Epsom Road, Guildford offices.
	A lease expires on 10 July 2006 and appropriate discussions will commence with the provider prior to that date.

Pandemic Influenza

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take to ensure continuity of satisfactory water supplies in the event of an outbreak of pandemic influenza; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: My Department has liaised closely with water companies about their preparedness in the event of a flu pandemic. Water companies are aware of the Department of Health's influenza pandemic plan and are able to access it. They know the minimum staffing levels required for their key functions and they have taken this issue into account in their business continuity plans to ensure that they will have sufficient manpower available to maintain the delivery of water supplies.

Pollution

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what monitoring the Government undertakes of nitrous oxide levels in water supplies in (a) Bedfordshire and (b) England; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Nitrous oxide is a trace gas in the atmosphere. It is produced naturally mainly by the bacteriological breakdown of nitrogen in oceans and the soils of rainforests. Its common name is laughing gas" and it is best known for its use as an anaesthetic in clinical dentistry. Approximately 65 per cent. of nitrous oxide emissions are accounted for by natural processes, the remainder is due to man's activities such as artificial fertilisers, manure fertilisers, fossil fuel combustion degradation (and nylon production. Other uses of nitrous oxide are as a propellant in aerosol cans, in place of CFCs and it is occasionally used in the fuel lines of racing cars to enhance acceleration.
	Drinking water supplies in England and Wales are tested for only those substances of relevance to public health. Tests are done routinely for nitrate and nitrite but not for nitrous oxide. The World Health Organisation has not found it necessary on health grounds to set a guideline value for nitrous oxide in drinking water. Likewise there is no standard set in the EU Drinking Water Directive and no requirement in the drinking water regulations for England and Wales for water companies to monitor drinking water supplies for nitrous oxide. Details of nitrate and nitrite standards and concentrations in drinking water are published on the website of the Drinking Water Inspectorate www.dwi.gov.uk. Consumers in Bedfordshire can obtain the most up to date drinking water quality testing results for their homes and workplaces directly from their local water company.
	Because nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas, environmental scientists have shown an interest in its concentration in the water environment. A correlation between the natural water concentrations of nitrate and nitrous oxide is recorded in the scientific literature pointing towards nitrification in soil as a main production mechanism of nitrous oxide in groundwater. However, nitrous oxide is not only produced as an intermediate step in the process of nitrification of ammonia in the presence of oxygen but it is also produced by denitrification of nitrate in the absence of oxygen. A NERC funded study of groundwater concentrations in the R. Bure catchment area of Norfolk was undertaken by University of East Anglia in 2001. The Environment Agency is responsible for determining the monitoring requirements for rivers and groundwater in England and Wales.

Renewable Energy

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what her Department's policy is on biofuels;
	(2)  what support her Department gives to the agricultural sector to grow and process alternative crops for renewable energy;
	(3)  what steps she is taking (a) to promote alternative crops for renewable energy and (b) to encourage the establishment of biofuel processing plants in England;

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps she is taking to promote oilseed rape and sugar beet farming for the biofuels industry in rural areas;
	(2)  what steps she is taking to promote the domestic biofuels industry in the UK.

Elliot Morley: Bio-energy has an important role in supporting the Government's objectives for improving sustainability, reducing the impact of climate change, farm diversification and supporting rural jobs and areas.
	Farmers growing certain crops for transport biofuels or the generation of heat and electricity can receive the single payment for crops on set-aside land or where the €45/ha energy aid payment is claimed for crops on non set-aside land. Grants are available to farmers to establish energy crops for heat and power generation and to develop supply chains for energy crops and wood fuel, from harvest and processing through to delivery to end-users. Research has been commissioned to improve pest and disease resistance and crop yields.
	The production of transport biofuels is supported through the 20 pence per litre cut in the duty rate for biodiesel and bioethanol. This has brought forward sales amounting to around 0.25 per cent. of all road fuel sales. In order to further develop supply, the Government have announced that a renewable transport fuels obligation will be introduced. This will require 5 per cent. of road fuel to come from a renewable source by 2010. Other measures are being considered, such as duty incentives to encourage the mixing of biomass with hydrocarbons in the conventional refinery process, and an enhanced capital allowance scheme for the cleanest biofuels processing plants. The latter scheme would allow the cost of capital assets to be written off against taxable profits. Regional support grants for capital investment in production plants are already available. A number of companies are either building, or have plans to build, biofuel processing plants that will include UK-grown oilseed rape, wheat or sugar beet as a feedstock.
	£66 million has been allocated to develop markets for biomass, including energy crops, in heat and electricity generation. Electricity suppliers are required to source 15 per cent. of their electricity from renewables, including energy crops, by 2015. Co-firing of energy crops with fossil fuels in conventional power stations is developing. A cross-departmental team is looking at the recommendations of the Biomass Task Force on ways to overcome the barriers to developing biomass heat and power. The Government will publish a full response by the end of April.

Rights-of-way Modification Orders

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what average length of time local authorities in England took to make rights-of-way modification orders in 2004–05; how many orders Staffordshire has outstanding; and what percentage of orders were successful.

Jim Knight: Local highway authorities are responsible for the management of rights of way and all information relating to modification orders is held by the authorities, rather than central government. Information on the length of time for local authorities in England to make modification orders and the percentage of successful orders could be gathered only at disproportionate cost.
	Under schedule 5 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 surveying authorities had until 31 December 2005 to establish a register of definitive map modification order applications. Staffordshire has 287 outstanding applications.

Climate Change

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) minimum and (b) maximum temperature change the Hadley Centre has predicted for each decade of the next 100 years.

Elliot Morley: The Hadley Centre has provided Defra with scenarios of global and UK temperature change, based on possible future greenhouse gas emissions generated by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change marker emissions scenarios; and scaled from the UKCIP02 scenarios for the 21st century. The IPCC emissions scenarios range from a low population growth, clean technology, convergent world (B1), to a high population growth, energy intensive technology world (A1FI). Forecast temperature changes derived in this way are subject to uncertainties in future emissions and in climate modelling. However, they provide a range of plausible futures. It is important to note that no one scenario is considered any more likely than any other.
	Estimates of global and UK minimum and maximum temperature changes consistent with IPCC scenarios and Hadley Centre model predictions are shown below. These are based on one model from the Hadley Centre and show a smaller range of temperature change than in the IPCC Third Assessment Report. The temperature increases shown below are relative to 1961–90 mean temperatures (effectively relative to 1975 and hence the apparent large initial rise between then and the mid-2010s). The global temperature rise between 1900 and 1975 of approximately 0.2 oC needs to be added in order to estimate changes relative to pre-industrial temperature levels.
	
		
			  Low(2) High(3) 
			 Decade Global UK Global UK 
		
		
			 2010 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.7 
			 2020 0.8 0.8 1.0 0.9 
			 2030 1.0 1.0 1.3 1.2 
			 2040 1.2 1.2 1.7 1.6 
			 2050 1.5 1.4 2.2 2.1 
			 2060 1.7 1.6 2.8 2.6 
			 2070 1.9 1.8 3.4 3.1 
			 2080 2.1 2.0 4.0 3.7 
			 2090 2.2 2.1 4.6 4.3 
		
	
	(2) Minimum (Scenario B1) Temperature Rises (oC)
	(3) Maximum (Scenario A1FI) Temperature Rises (oC)

TRANSPORT

Aviation White Paper

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how he plans to meet the commitment in the 2003 Aviation White Paper to report by the end of 2006 on progress on the policies and proposals in the Paper.

Karen Buck: The Department for Transport expects to publish a Progress Report on the Air Transport White Paper (ATWP) by the end of 2006. It is expected to report on progress so far, take account of developments since publication, and set out what remains to be done in implementing the ATWP strategy. Work on the Report is currently at the stage of scoping and planning.

Crossrail

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that the Crossrail fleet is built in Great Britain.

Derek Twigg: All procurement in the Crossrail project, including rolling stock, will be undertaken in accordance with the EU procurement rules with the aim of obtaining value for money for the public.

Departmental Staff

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many jobs in his Department have been relocated to Wales since 2001.

Karen Buck: No jobs have been relocated to Wales since 2001.
	However, in association with the Department's shared services programme, we expect some 250 full time equivalent staff to be employed in a new shared services centre in Swansea over the next three years. Some of these posts are expected to be filled by Departmental staff relocating from outside Wales.

Engagements

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) public speeches and (b) official visits he has made on departmental business since 5 May 2005; and how many letters he sent in this period.

Karen Buck: In his capacity as Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made (a) 31 public speeches as well as various debates in the House; and (b) 24 visits; and he has sent approximately 2,450 letters, since 5 May 2005. This is in addition to his responsibilities as Secretary of State for Scotland, which will be outlined in a separate response.
	All visits and speeches are conducted in line with the ministerial code. Other Ministers in the Department will also have made speeches, undertaken official visits as well as sending many letters.

Pensioners Concessionary Travel

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding has been allocated to each local authority for the provision of free off-peak bus travel for pensioners from April 2006; and whether this funding is ringfenced.

Karen Buck: The Government are providing an extra £350 million for 2006–07 through the formula grant system. The general consensus is that this will be sufficient in aggregate to fund the additional cost to local authorities. This funding is unhypothecated; therefore the funding for concessionary fares is not separately identified to local authorities.

Private Office

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of his private office was in the last year for which figures are available.

Karen Buck: The final out-turn for the running costs of the office for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, for 2004–05 was £0.5 million.

Railways

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with GNER on the east coast main line service out of King's Cross in 2005;
	(2)  when he was first informed that GNER had made significant donations to the Labour party in the fourth quarter of 2005;
	(3)  what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) departmental officials have had with GNER in (i) the last quarter of 2005, (ii) the first three quarters of 2005 and (iii) 2006;
	(4)  what hospitality (a) Ministers and (b) officials have received from GNER in (i) 2005 and (ii) 2006;
	(5)  when he was first informed that GNER had increased its donation to the Labour party in the period immediately prior to the re-awarding of its franchise.

Derek Twigg: The Secretary of State had no knowledge of the GNER donation until a report appeared in a newspaper on 28 February 2006.
	In accordance with Treasury guidelines and departmental procedures, Ministers are kept separate from, and take no part in commercial negotiations in the franchise process. Commercial negotiations are the responsibility of a small team of officials and their advisers. The identity of bidders and their progress through the evaluation and selection processes is restricted to this team.
	Ministers and officials meet on many occasions with rail franchisees. Matters discussed at many of them are confidential for commercial or other reasons.
	No hospitality was received from GNER except for a cup of coffee at Kings Cross main line station provided for the Secretary of State when he took part in a ceremony to mark the completion of the upgrading of GNER mallard trains in December 2005.

Railways

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by how much the cost of a standard return rail ticket between Stockport and London Euston purchased on the day of travel has changed since 1997.

Derek Twigg: The Department has details of individual fares for 1995, but not 1997. Stockport-London fares have changed as follows since 1995:
	
		£
		
			 As at January each year Standard Open Return(4) Saver Return(5) Advance purchase return(6) 
		
		
			 1995 95 44.50 (7)from 19 
			 2006 202 57.20 (8)from 25 
		
	
	(4) Used by approximately 10–15 per cent. of passengers
	(5) Used by approximately 55–60 per cent. of passengers
	(6) Used by approximately 25–30 per cent. of passengers
	(7) Book 14 days in advance
	(8) Book by 18:00 hours day before
	Both the Saver Return (a flexible standard class off-peak ticket) Standard Open Return (a fully-flexible ticket, valid at any time including Monday-Friday business peaks) can be bought on the day of travel. The cheapest advance purchase fares can now be booked until 18:00 hours the day before travel.
	The first phases of the 7.6 billion modernisation of the West Coast Main Line are now complete, and new Pendolino trains have been introduced providing a half hourly service from Manchester and Stockport to London. All that has to be paid for.

Railways

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of delays on the rail network he attributes to (a) Network Rail and (b) train operating companies (i) since the creation of Network Rail and (ii) between 2000 and the Railtrack administration order coming into effect.

Derek Twigg: In the year leading up to the Railtrack Administration order (October 2001), 61 per cent. of train delays was attributed to Railtrack and 39 per cent. to train operators. Under Network Rail, this proportion has changed to 53 per cent. for Network Rail and 47 per cent. for train operators in the most recent 12-month period.
	Since Network Rail took over responsibility for the railway infrastructure in 2002, it has reduced its delays to passenger services by 32 per cent. In the same time period, the public performance measure of trains running punctually has improved from a low of 78.6 per cent. and is currently running at 85.8 per cent.

Railways

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the economic impact on Plymouth of the proposed new First Great Western timetable.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 13 March 2006
	The Strategic Rail Authority and the Department for Transport in preparing the specification for rail franchises assess the financial effects, value for money, user and non user economic benefits that are generated by the franchise specification.

Railways

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the (a) reliability, (b) punctuality and (c) frequency of trains running to and from Staffordshire; what plans he has to improve those services; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Network Rail monitors the reliability and punctuality of services for all franchised train operating companies. Data are not available by geographical county, however details of recent performance by those train operating companies providing services in Staffordshire is summarised as follows.
	
		Percentage
		
			  Public performance measure (PPM) Cancellations 
			 Operator Period 11 (8 January 2006 to 4 February 2006) Difference from period 11 last year Moving annual average Period 11 (8 January 2006 to 4 February 2006) Difference from period 11 last year 
		
		
			 Central trains 84.5 (9)9.5 77.6 2.8 (9)0.6 
			 Virgin cross country 86.9 (9)4.3 80.5 3.9 2— 
			 Virgin west coast 91.6 (9)22.9 82.7 1.1 (9)2.1 
		
	
	(9) Better.
	(10) Same.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 18 October 2005 proposals to re-map the existing franchises in the Midlands. This change is designed to improve the efficiency and performance of the railways, achieving savings through economies of scale and improving service to customers. This will also encourage better joint working between Network Rail and TOCs to deliver an improved service to customers. Also, work has started on four tracking the West Coast Main Line between Rugeley and Tamworth. This will greatly enhance route capacity and overall reliability.

Railways

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the definitions of Act of God used by the train operating companies in relation to train cancellations.

Derek Twigg: The rail industry's classification used for train delays and cancellations does not use the term 'Act of God'. Events which cause train cancellations are attributed to a specific cause wherever known. This is done in order to help train companies understand the root causes, and to use the information to reduce such incidents in the future

Railway Stations

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of railway stations are covered by closed circuit television equipment; if he will list the stations so covered; what plans are in place to provide CCTV equipment for the remainder; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Station security, including the installation and operation of closed circuit television (CCTV) equipment is a matter for train operators in conjunction as necessary with the British Transport police. Approximately one third of the 2,500 stations nationally, and over half of the 300 national rail stations in London, now have CCTV. This number is steadily increasing as operators and Transport for London continues to invest in increased security.
	The Department is ensuring that tough new security standards covering stations, policing and CCTV are to be incorporated into contracts every time a franchise is renewed.

Railway Stations

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the railway stations in Cumbria which do not have (a) waiting rooms, (b) toilets and (c) disabled access; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: There are 44 railway stations in Cumbria that do not have either (a) a waiting room, (b) toilets or (c) disabled access. These are in the following list:
	Armathwaite
	Arnside
	Askam
	Aspatria
	Barrow in Furness
	Bootle
	Brampton (Cumbria)
	Braystones
	Burneside
	Cark-in-Cartmel
	Carnforth
	Corkickle
	Dalston
	Dalton-in-Furness
	Dent
	Drigg
	Flimby
	Foxfield
	Garsdale
	Grange O Sands
	Green Road
	Harrington
	Kendal
	Kents Bank
	Kirkby Stephen
	Kirkby-in-Furness
	Langwathby
	Lazonby and Kirkoswald
	Marypot
	Millom
	Nertherown
	Parton
	Ravenglass for Eskdale
	Roose
	Seascale
	Sellafield
	Silecroft
	St. Bees
	Staveley
	Ulverston
	Wetheral
	Wigton
	Windermere
	Workington
	A detailed breakdown of which of these facilities are, or are not available at each of these stations, has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Railway Stations

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what budget has been allocated for each of the next three years to make railway stations comply with the Disability Discrimination Acts (DDAs) of 1995 and 2005; how much has been spent in each of the last 10 years on making railway stations DDA compliant; which stations have received dedicated funding; how much has been spent on each such station; and what estimate he has made of the amount that needs to be spent on railway stations to make them all DDA compliant.

Derek Twigg: It is for station operators to meet the requirements of Part 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 with regard to access for disabled people. The Act requires them to take reasonable steps to ensure that disabled people do not find it impossible or unreasonably difficult to access their services by removing or altering physical features, by finding a way to avoid them, or by providing the service by a reasonable alternative means. It is therefore not simply a case of making physical alterations to stations, but rather taking such action as is reasonable for any particular station.
	We do not hold any central records of how much has been spent improving accessibility at individual stations over the last 10 years, or of which stations have received such improvements.
	We do, however, recognise that station access is a key issue in making the railway system accessible to disabled people. We will be publishing a strategy for rail accessibility shortly which will include details of how the £370 million Access for All funding will be targeted to deliver access improvements at stations over the next 10 years.

Railway Stations

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his Department's work with (a) Network Rail and (b) train operating companies to reduce petty crime at major rail stations.

Derek Twigg: The Department continues to work with Network Rail, train operators and others, including the British Transport police, the Office of Rail Regulation and local authorities, to reduce crime as well as the fear of crime wherever it occurs on the transport network.

Railway Stations

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list each Government-funded station redevelopment project announced since 1997; what the (a) initial cost estimates and (b) target completion dates of each was; and what the latest (i) cost estimate and (ii) target completion date is for each uncompleted project.

Derek Twigg: Funding for the majority of heavy rail station re-development schemes has been provided and managed by Railtrack and more recently Network Rail along with the Passenger Transport Executives, the Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly Government and Transport for London. The department does not hold records of such expenditure by these organisations.

Regeneration (Teesside)

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact on regeneration in Teesside in the last two years of the use of Article 14 directives.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 9 March 2006
	Article 14 directions give the Highways Agency time to discuss with the developer and the local planning authority the implications of development proposals on the trunk road network, and to agree acceptable solutions.
	Use of this process has meant that the Highways Agency has been able to reach a satisfactory outcome on all regeneration proposals in Teesside that they have been involved in over the last two years. The Article 14 directives have had a positive impact by enabling the appropriate mitigation measures to be put in place ensuring the safe and efficient operation of the trunk road network has been maintained. These measures have included capacity improvements to the highways, and Travel Plan initiatives such as new public transport services to support the developments.
	The alternative to using Article 14 in this way would be to direct refusal of the application due to insufficient information. This would cause significant delay to the regeneration proposals and adversely affect the local economy.
	Four Article 14 directions are still in force in the North East region. The current situation on these is:
	Derwent West Bank, (A1 Gateshead)Highways Agency responded to comments by developers consultants in March 2005. The Highways Agency is still awaiting reply from the developers.
	A1 Fifth Avenue Business Park (A1 Gateshead)Highways Agency have agreement reached with the developer on way forward, outcome depends on further negotiations between the planning authority and the developer on work on local roads.
	Corus Pipe Mill (A19 Stockton-on-Tees)Stockton borough council (planning authority) have expressed appreciation for the Highways Agency's positive and pro-active approach in brokering a solution. They are awaiting final agreement on the improvement measures.
	Rainton Business Park (A1 and A19 Sunderland)Highways Agency awaiting a revised Transport Assessment.
	In the last two years the Highways Agency have received 87 planning applications in Teeside and have only issued three directions of refusal.. These were for a cattery, a free standing trailer sign, and a detached dwelling.

Road Safety

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff in (a) his Department, (b) the Highways Agency and (c) other agencies and organisations funded by his Department work on (i) road safety issues and (ii) rail-related safety issues.

Karen Buck: The Department and its Agencies employee 18,722 staff as of 31 December 2005.
	A large number of staff work in Divisions which have partial interest and/or responsibilities for Road or Rail Safety. Some where we can identify specific Road or Rail safety roles are as follows.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Road Safety  
			 Road and Vehicle Safety and Standards 2 
			 Road Safety and Standards 16 
			 Safety Camera Programme Office 8 
			 Uniformed Traffic Officers 826 
			   
			 Rail Safety  
			 Rail Accident investigation Branch 44 
			 Rail Standards and Safety 7 
		
	
	Of the remaining Departmental staff, a number will be working in areas that promote Road or Rail Safety in line with DfT public service agreements, but it is not possible to provide the information in the format requested as the information is not held centrally and to do so would be at a disproportionate cost.

Transport Services (Greater Manchester)

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in implementing the South East Manchester Multi Modal Study in (a) Tameside metropolitan borough and (b) Stockport metropolitan borough; and if he will make a statement.

Karen Buck: Progress made on implementation of the major and minor elements of the strategy and the implementation of some of the major schemes arising from the South East Manchester Multi Modal Study in both (a) Tameside metropolitan borough and (b) Stockport metropolitan borough is highlighted in the Greater Manchester Local Transport Plan.
	I understand that further details of progress will be available shortly, as part of the SEMMMS Implementation strategy document, to be published as part of the Greater Manchester Authorities final Local Transport Plan 2 submission.
	In addition, we are currently considering the scheme appraisal and bid for funding for SEMMMS New Relief Road and hope to make an announcement in due course.

Transport Services (Greater Manchester)

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with Stagecoach Manchester on their bus strategy for South Manchester.

Karen Buck: Stagecoach provided the Departmentand other stakeholderswith details of their alternative bus strategy. Mr. Brian Souter, Chief Executive of Stagecoach Group, has also discussed this strategy at meetings with myself and with the Secretary of State. No discussions of a more detailed nature have occurred.

Transport Services (Greater Manchester)

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the (a) potential effect of the proposed Hazel Grove A6 Bypass in redirecting Manchester-bound traffic onto the M60 motorway and (b) potential consequential impact on the capacity of the M60/M67/A57 Denton interchange.

Stephen Ladyman: An outline assessment has been undertaken into the potential impacts of the A6 Hazel Grove Bypass and other South East Manchester Multi Modal Study road schemes on the M60 and the M60/M67/A57 Denton Interchange. I understand that the Greater Manchester local authorities are in the process of updating their transport model which will allow a more detailed appraisal of these and other impacts to be assessed.

Trunk Roads (Lancashire)

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his projections are for traffic growth on trunk roads in Lancashire in each of the next 10 years.

Stephen Ladyman: We do not have projections specifically related to trunk roads in Lancashire. However demand for car trips to and from Lancashire is projected to increase by around 7 per cent. over the next 10 years.

TREASURY

Biofuels

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans the Government have to increase the duty concession for biofuels after 2008.

John Healey: The Chancellor considers all relevant economic, social and environmental factors when deciding taxation policy.
	Any changes will be announced by the Chancellor in the context of his Budget Statement.

Correspondence

Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when HM Revenue and Customs will reply substantively to the letter from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight dated 1 December 2005, to which an acknowledgement was sent on 7 December 2005.

Dawn Primarolo: The Chairman wrote to the hon. Member on 2 March 2006.

Departmental Expenditure

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many Government Departments overspent in each year between 1997 and 2005;
	(2)  what the combined overspend of all Government Departments was in each year between 1997 and 2005;
	(3)  what the total budgets are for each Government Department in the 200506 financial year.

Des Browne: Final provision and outturn for departmental budgets is published in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis each year. Departmental plans for 200506 are published in Spring Supplementary Estimates.

Departmental Staff

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many visits special advisers in his Department made in an official capacity (a) in the UK and (b) abroad since 2000; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost.

John Healey: Since 1999 the Government have published, on an annual basis, the total costs of all ministerial overseas travel and a list of all visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of 500. Copies of the lists are available in the Library of the House. Information for the financial year 200405 was published on 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 158WS. The Treasury's records show that the Chancellor's and the Chief Secretary's Special Advisers made no overseas visits in 200405 other than in the company of Ministers, and the costs of the their overseas travel are included in the annual list of overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers. Information for the financial year 200506 is in the process of being collated and will be published when it is ready.
	For the cost of special advisers' overseas travel for years 200001, 200102, 200203 and 200304, I refer respectively to the answer given to the former hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Mr. Collins) on 25 March 2002, Official Report, column 734W, and the answers given to the hon. Member for Chichester (Mr. Tyrie) on 19 June 2002, Official Report, column 389W, 15 September 2003, Official Report, column 603W and 9 December 2004, Official Report, column 655W.
	Information regarding special advisers' domestic travel could be provided only at disproportionate cost. All travel by special advisers is undertaken in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.

Drug-related Deaths

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2006 to the hon. Member for Woking (Mr. Malins), Official Report, columns 173132W, on drug-related deaths, if he will break down the number of deaths which occurred in each year since 1997 by (a) adults and (b) children.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 16 March 2006
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question (pursuant to the answer of 23rd January 2006 to the hon. member for Woking, Official Report, columns 17312W, on drug related deaths) seeking a break down of the number of deaths which occurred in each year since 1997 by (a) adults and (b) children. I am replying in her absence. (58567)
	The previous answer gave figures to 2003. The most recent year for which figures are now available is 2004. The table below shows the number of deaths for which the underlying cause was drug poisoning, where any drug controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act were mentioned on the death certificate by age group for the years 1997 to 2004.
	
		Deaths from drug-related poisoning(11) involving illegal substances(12) in (a) adults and (b) children England and Wales, 1997 to 2004(13)
		
			  (a) adults aged 16 and over (b) children aged under 16 All ages 
		
		
			 1997 1,201 3 1,204 
			 1998 1,346 3 1,349 
			 1999 1,468 3 1,471 
			 2000 1,567 4 1,571 
			 2001 1,529 6 1,535 
			 2002 1,428 2 1,430 
			 2003(14) 1,126 3 1,129 
			 2004 1,301 4 1,305 
		
	
	(11) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (1CD-9) codes 292, 304, 305.2305.9, E850-E858, E950.0-E950.5, E962.0 and E980.0-E980.5 for 1994 to 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (1CD-10) codes F11-F16, F18- F19, X40-X44, X60-X64, X85 and Y10-Y14 from 2001 onwards.
	(12) Includes deaths where the underlying cause was drug-related poisoning and a drug controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 was mentioned on the death record.
	(13) Figures are for deaths occurring in each calendar year.
	(14) Figures for 2003 have been corrected from those previously published due to an error in the coding of drug misuse deaths for that data year. This was reported in Health Statistics Quarterly 29, which was released on 23 February 2006.

Earnings Statistics

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average earnings were of full-time employees in West Lancashire constituency in April of each year since 2000.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 16 March 2006
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the average earnings were of full-time employees in West Lancashire constituency in April of each year since 2000. (58420)
	Average earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for full time employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. This is the standard definition used for ASHE. The ASHE does not collect data on the self employed and people who do unpaid work.
	I attach tables showing Average Gross Weekly Earnings by parliamentary constituency for the years 2000 to 2005 for Full Time Employees on Adult Rates. These statistics are also available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vInk= 13101.
	The ASHE, carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a one per cent sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes.
	
		Gross weekly() pay for full-time employee jobs(15) by place of work
		
			 West Lancashire Median Mean 
		
		
			 2000 *363.2 *429.5 
			 2001 *356.5 *399.2 
			 2002 *360.6 **469.9 
			 2003 *351.0 *420.9 
			 2004 *403.3 *456.4 
			 2004(16) *399.5 *469.1 
			 2005 *420.4 **520.6 
		
	
	(15) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey day-period was not affected by absence.
	(16) Includes supplementary survey data.
	Guide to quality:
	The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality.
	The true value is likely to lie within  twice the CV e.g. for an average of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220.
	Key:
	CV }5 percent.
	* = CV5% and }10%
	** = CV10% and }20%
	The median replaces the mean as the headline statistic. The weighted mean is the sum of the weighted values divided by the sum of the weights. The median is the value below which 50 per cent. of employees fall. It is preferred over the mean for earnings data as it is influenced less by extreme values and because of the skewed distribution of earnings data.
	Source:
	Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.
	
		Gross weekly() pay for full-time employee jobs(17) by place of residence
		
			 West Lancashire Median Mean 
		
		
			 2000   
			 2001   
			 2002 *396.1 *460.2 
			 2003 *401.0 *474.1 
			 2004 *411.6 *485.3 
			 2004(18) *396.0 *481.6 
			 2005 **416.9 491.1 
		
	
	(17) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey day-period was not affected by absence.
	(18) Includes supplementary survey data.
	Guide to quality:
	The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality.
	The true value is likely to lie within  twice the CV e.g. for an average of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220.
	Key:
	CV = 5 percent.
	* = CV5% and }10%
	** = CV10% and }20%
	The median replaces the mean as the headline statistic. The weighted mean is the sum of the weighted values divided by the sum of the weights. The median is the value below which 50 per cent. of employees fall. It is preferred over the mean for earnings data as it is influenced less by extreme values and because of the skewed distribution of earnings data.
	Source:
	Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

Employment (Stroud)

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Stroud constituency (a) under and (b) over the age of 25 years were long-term unemployed in each year since 1997; and how many people in each age group participated in the New Deal in each year.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 16 March 2006
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about unemployment. (58710)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment for local areas from the annual local area Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	However, for the Stroud parliamentary constituency, sample numbers are insufficient to provide the estimates requested.
	ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Table 1, attached, shows the annual average number of JSA claimants, aged under 25, and aged 25 and over, resident in the Stroud constituency, who were claiming for over 12 months, since 1997.
	The Department for Work and Pensions compiles statistics of those participating in the New Deal. Table 2, attached, the number of individual starts and individual jobs for the New Deal for Young People and for the New Deal for 25 plus, for participants resident in the Stroud constituency since the programmes were introduced in 1998.
	
		Table 1: JSA claimants resident in the Stroud parliamentary constituency
		
			  Long-term (claiming over 12 months)(19) 
			 Annual average Aged under 25 Aged over 25 
		
		
			 1997 60 390 
			 1998 25 220 
			 1999  195 
			 2000 5 180 
			 2001 5 170 
			 2002 5 125 
			 2003  95 
			 2004 5 85 
			 2005 5 65 
		
	
	(19) Computerised claims only. Data rounded to the nearest 5 for disclosure control
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus Administrative system
	
		Table 2: New Deal participants resident in the Stroud parliamentary constituency
		
			  New Deal for Young People(20) New deal for 25 plus(21) 
			  Individual starts(22) Individual jobs(23) Individual starts(22) Individual jobs(23) 
		
		
			 1998 120 60 30  
			 1999 100 80 30 10 
			 2000 110 110 70  
			 2001 80 90 100 20 
			 2002 100 40 80 70 
			 2003 170 100 110 40 
			 2004 170 140 80 40 
			 2005 160 60 130 50 
		
	
	(20) New Deal for Young People started in April 1998.
	(21) New Deal for 25 plus started in July 1998.
	(22) Information on individual starts is up to November 2005.
	(23) Information on individual jobs is up to August 2005.
	Data rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	Department for Work and Pensions.

Energy/Water Efficiency

Alan Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many approved private finance initiative schemes for the 200405 financial year included energy self-generation and water recycling measures; and what proportion this represented of total approvals.

John Healey: The Treasury does not hold this information.

Fuel Suppliers (Windfall Tax)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for a windfall tax on fuel suppliers.

John Healey: The Chancellor considers all relevant economic, social and environmental factors when deciding taxation policy. Any changes will be announced by the Chancellor in the context of his Budget Statement.

Hedge Funds

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to regulate hedge funds.

Ivan Lewis: Hedge fund managers based in the UK have to be authorised and regulated by the FSA under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Once authorisation has been obtained, firms have to continue to comply with the FSA's high level standards, covering principles for business, senior management systems and controls, code of practice for approved persons, and fit and proper tests, in additional to financial and business standards relevant to their specific business.
	Where the funds that these types of firms manage are domiciled outside the UK (as is often the case), the regulation and supervision of the funds themselves is outside the FSA's legal jurisdiction. As such funds typically invest in more complex and innovative products, which are high risk in nature, they are not considered to be suitable for retail investors and are aimed at high net worth individuals or institutional investors with an initial minimum investment of at least $100,000.
	The FSA has established a specialist hedge fund supervision team.

Incentive Tools

Mark Todd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has appraised the use of incentive tools applied to public service proposed in Incentives for Change, published by the Public Services Productivity Panel.

Des Browne: HM Treasury, HM Customs and Excise and the Department of Work and Pensions jointly sponsored research by the University of Bristol into the impact of the Incentives for Change report of the Public Services Productivity Panel, based on trials in CE and DWP. This research was completed in 2005.
	The appraisal demonstrated that the team based incentives approach had mixed results within different teams, outputs and organisations. While there was evidence of a positive effect in some teams or when measured against some outputs it was also evident that to be successful incentive schemes must be varied and matched to organisational needs and circumstances and targeted on specific delivery priorities. There is no one-size fits all solution. The use of team based incentives is now one of many tools available to public sector employers.

Inland Revenue Staff

Robert Key: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will announce his decision on relocation of Inland Revenue staff from Alexandra House, Salisbury following the termination of the lease at the end of March.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC occupy Alexandra House, Salisbury under a Memorandum of Terms of Occupation (MOTO) with HM Courts Service. They have not served notice on us.
	HMRC are currently reviewing all its offices and only once they have carried out a detailed social, economic and service delivery impact assessment will they consider moving work away from some locations.

Insurance Premium Tax

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of insurance premium tax due which has not been paid in the last 10 years.

Ivan Lewis: No estimate has been made of the amount of insurance premium tax due which has not been paid in the last 10 years.

Planning Gain Supplement

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 6 March 2006, Official Report, column 1106W, on the planning gain supplement, how many responses were submitted to the Government's consultation by 27 February 2006.

John Healey: Approximately 800 responses to the consultation have been received. A summary of these responses will be published in due course.

Population Statistics

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what his estimate is of the current population of each ward in the West Lancashire constituency based on (a) the 2001 Census, (b) electoral rolls and (c) health service users; and what projections he has made for the next five years;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the accuracy of census figures for (a) West Lancashire constituency and (b) Lancashire in each of the last two censuses; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, 16 March 2006
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your questions concerning the following:
	1. Estimates of the current population of each ward in the West Lancashire constituency based on (a) the 2001 Census, (b) electoral rolls and (c) health service users; and projections for the next five years. (58424)
	2. The assessment made of the accuracy of census figures for (a) West Lancashire constituency and (b) Lancashire in each of the last two censuses. (58425)
	3. The population of (a) West Lancashire district and (b) each ward in the district according to (i) figures from the 2001 Census, (ii) most recent electoral rolls and (iii) most recent figures for health service users; and what projections have been made for the next five years. (58582)
	The tables attached provide the information you have requested. Data for wards in West Lancashire constituency are shown in Table 1, data for West Lancashire district are shown in Tables 2 and 3, and data for wards in West Lancashire district are shown in Table 4.
	Table 1 provides the most recent ward population estimates for West Lancashire constituency. The closest available geography to current electoral wards, for which population estimates are available, is Census Area Statistics (CAS) wards. This geography was created for outputs from the 2001 Census and is based mainly on 2003 electoral wards. The CAS ward level population estimates have been published with the status of experimental statistics. Therefore, the estimates, should be treated with some care.
	The latest available ward electorate counts are for December 2004 and are shown in Table 1 for West Lancashire constituency and Table 4 for West Lancashire district. The ward electorate counts are for parliamentary electors, including attainers. Local government electorate counts are not available at ward level.
	It should be noted that the number of people eligible to vote is not the same as the resident population aged 18 and over.
	There are numerous reasons for this. For example not everyone who is usually resident is entitled to vote (foreign citizens from outside of the EU and Commonwealth, prisoners, etc. are not eligible), some people do not register to vote and people who have more than one address may register in more than one place. Further, there is inevitably some double counting of the registered electorate as electoral registration officers vary in how quickly they remove people from the registers after they have moved away from an area or after they have died. These factors have a differential impact from area to area.
	The latest available ward patient register counts are for 2004 and are shown in Table 1 for West Lancashire constituency and Table 4 for West Lancashire district. It should be noted that patient register counts differ from estimates of the usually resident population for a number of reasons. Patient registers include people who are in the country for at least three months, whereas, population estimates are based on a usual residence definition requiring a stay of 12 months or more. The patient registers exclude individuals who are ineligible to be registered with a GP. People may be on a patient register after having left the country and not deregistered with their GP; similarly people may have moved to another area and not re-registered. Some patients may have more than one NHS number e.g. they may have been issued a temporary number for a short period. Again, these factors have a differential impact from place to place.
	The ONS does not produce projections of population at ward level.
	Official assessments of the quality of the 1991 Census were published in the 1991 Census General Report (ISBN 0116916168) and User Guide 58 (Under coverage in Great Britain). These were earned out at national level and no assessment of quality was made for individual Local Authorities. The General Report is held in the House of Commons Library and User Guide 58 may be obtained from Census Customer Servicesemail census.customerservices@ons.gov.uk
	The 1991 Census Validation Survey assessed the coverage of the Census and the quality of the Census information recorded about those people who were successfully enumerated. The 1991 Census Validation Survey: Quality Report (ISBN 0116916885) and 1991 Census Validation Survey: Coverage Report (ISBN 0116915919) are held in the House of Commons Library.
	Following the 2001 Census for England and Wales, ONS undertook an extensive programme of work to investigate the reasons for the difference between the 2001 Census and the mid-year population estimates (MYEs) at both national and local levels. This research included a series of Local Authority studies carried out in 2004 which were designed to improve the MYEs in the areas that proved hardest to count in the Census. An extensive review was carried out for 32 local authorities to assess whether there was evidence that the population might have been under- or over-estimated. Included in this review was the Unitary Authority of Blackburn with Darwen, which prior to administrative boundary changes on 1 April 1998 was within the administrative boundaries of Lancashire. Blackpool at this time also became a Unitary Authority.
	The results of the 2004 Local Authority studies showed that better estimates of the population could be made in 15 local authority areas and an adjustment was made to the MYEs in these areas. For the great majority of areas, including Blackburn with Darwen, it was found that the 2001 Census-based population estimate remains the best estimate of the population.
	A full report on these Local Authority Studies can be found at: www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/LAStudy_ FullReport.pdf
	The detailed report for Blackburn with Darwen can be found at: www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/LAStudy_Blackburn_with_Darwen.pdf
	The Census 2001 Quality report for England and Wales provides information about all aspects of quality relating to the 2001 Census. It provides an overview of the quality issues and the studies and analyses that have been carried out to improve the quality of census data. The Quality report is held in the House of Commons Library or can be downloaded from www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/proj_qr.asp
	Additional information pertaining to the quality of results from the 2001 Census for local areas can be found at: www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/stat_methods_qual.asp
	Table 2 provides population projections for mid-2005 to mid-2010 for West Lancashire district, for comparison the mid-2004 population estimate is also included. These projections are based on mid-2003 population estimates and are the latest projections available. They assume that local trends in fertility, mortality and migration over the reference period 1999 to 2003 will continue into the future. They, therefore, may not be directly comparable with the mid-2004 population estimate.
	Table 3 provides the 2001 Census population count, electorate count for December 2005 and patient register count for July 2004 for West Lancashire district.
	Table 4 provides the 2001 Census population count, electorate count for December 2004 and patient register count for July 2004 for wards in West Lancashire district.
	
		Table 1: Wards in West Lancashire constituency: Population estimates, electorate counts (December 2004), and patient register counts (July 2004)
		
			  Population estimate Parliamentary electors Patient register 
			 Ward name mid-2002 December 2004 July 2004 
		
		
			 Ashurst 6,700 4,896 6,889 
			 Aughton and Downholland 5,600 4,626 5,729 
			 Aughton Park 3,900 3,139 4,008 
			 Bickerstaffe 2,100 1,678 2,062 
			 Birch Green 4,400 3,090 4,758 
			 Burscough East 3,600 3,188 3,961 
			 Burscough West 5,100 3,932 5,205 
			 Derby 6,100 4,580 5,828 
			 Digmoor 4,500 3,204 4,779 
			 Halsall 1,900 1,803 2,155 
			 Knowsley 5,600 4,614 5,714 
			 Moorside 4,100 2,866 4,471 
			 Newburgh 2,000 1,718 2,125 
			 Parbold 4,000 3,191 4,029 
			 Scarisbrick 3,500 3,047 3,771 
			 Scott 5,700 4,610 5,821 
			 Skelmersdale North 4,100 3,163 4,425 
			 Skelmersdale South 6,400 5,031 6,677 
			 Tanhouse 4,000 3,346 4,905 
			 Up Holland 6,000 4,954 6,376 
			 Wrightington 4,000 3,436 4,317 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The mid-2002 ward population estimates are consistent with the published mid-2002 local authority estimates (September 2004 revisions) and have been rounded to the nearest hundred.
	2. Parliamentary electors are those people who are entitled to vote in parliamentary elections at Westminster and who meet the residence qualification. Those include overseas voters but exclude Peers and European citizens.
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics
	
		Table 2: West Lancashire district mid-2004 population estimates and mid-2005 to mid-2010 population projections (2003-based) -- Thousand
		
			  Population estimate Population projections(24) 
			  Mid-2004 Mid-2005 Mid-2006 Mid-2007 Mid-2008 Mid-2009 Mid-2010 
		
		
			 West Lancashire 109.2 109.5 109.7 110.0 110.2 110.4 110.7 
		
	
	(24) The population projections shown in this table are taken from the 2003-based subnational population projections, the latest set of projections currently available. Therefore they are not consistent with the 2004 mid-year estimate presented in the first column.
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics
	
		Table 3: West Lancashire district electoral register counts (December 2005) and patient register counts (July 2004)
		
			   Local government electors(25) Parliamentary electors(26) Patient register 
			  2001 Census December 2005 December 2005 July 2004 
		
		
			 West Lancashire 108,378 87,457 87,188 114,808 
		
	
	(25) Local government electors are those people who are entitled to vote in local elections and who meet the residence qualification. These include Peers and European citizens but exclude overseas voters.
	(26) Parliamentary electors are those people who are entitled to vote in parliamentary elections at Westminster and who meet the residence qualification. Those include overseas voters but exclude Peers and European citizens.
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics
	
		Table 4: Wards in West Lancashire district: 2001 census, electorate counts (December 2004), and patient register counts (July 2004)
		
			  2001 Census Parliamentary electors(27) Patient register 
			 Ward name April 2001 December 2004 July 2004 
		
		
			 Ashurst 6,732 4,896 6,889 
			 Aughton and Downholland 5,644 4,626 5,729 
			 Aughton Park 3,907 3,139 4,008 
			 Bickerstaffe 2,013 1,678 2,062 
			 Birch Green 4,477 3,090 4,758 
			 Burscough East 3,597 3,188 3,961 
			 Burscough West 5,071 3,932 5,205 
			 Derby 6,018 4,580 5,828 
			 Digmoor 4,530 3,204 4,779 
			 Halsall 1,873 1,803 2,155 
			 Hesketh-with-Becconsall 3,873 3,167 4,258 
			 Knowsley 5,535 4,614 5,714 
			 Moorside 4,177 2,866 4,471 
			 Newburgh 2,045 1,718 2,125 
			 North Meols 3,792 3,291 4,213 
			 Parbold 3,890 3,191 4,029 
			 Rufford 2,048 1,679 2,204 
			 Scarisbrick 3,504 3,047 3,771 
			 Scott 5,681 4,610 5,821 
			 Skelmersdale North 4,199 3,163 4,425 
			 Skelmersdale South 6,329 5,031 6,677 
			 Tanhouse 4,106 3,346 4,905 
			 Tarleton 5,350 4,503 6,128 
			 Up Holland 5,932 4,954 6,376 
			 Wrightington 4,055 3,436 4,317 
		
	
	(27) Parliamentary electors are those people who are entitled to vote in parliamentary elections at Westminster and who meet the residence qualification. Those include overseas voters but exclude Peers and European citizens.
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics

Property Sales

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of properties sold in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland in each year since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimates of the number of properties sold in England, Wales and Scotland are given in the following table:
	
		Thousand
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 England 1,377 1,289 1,437 1,369 1,386 1,513 1,271 1,693 
			 Wales 67 65 68 62 73 70 70 94 
			 Scotland n/a n/a n/a 148 153 167 171 172 
		
	
	n/a=not available

Stamp Duty

Mark Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what projections he has made for revenue from stamp duty on share transactions in each of the next three financial years.

Ivan Lewis: Estimated and projected revenues for total Stamp Taxes in 200506 and 200607 are published in Table B14 of the pre-Budget 2005 report. The components of these estimates which relate to Stamp Taxes on share transactions are as follows:
	
		Stamp Taxes on share transactions
		
			  ( billion) 
		
		
			 200506 3.2 
			 200607 3.6

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of time on average his Department's computer system has been accessible to staff working in the Tax Credit Office in each year since 200304.

Dawn Primarolo: In 200304 the computer system was available for 98 per cent. of the time when availability was planned. The equivalent figure for 200405 and for 200506 to date was 99 per cent. As is the case with any large IT system of this sort, there are also occasional periods of planned downtime which are required for maintenance and enhancements, but the Department endeavours to schedule these outside peak periods and keep them to a minimum.

Tax Credits

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases of forged tax credits resulting in prosecution have been reported to Jobcentre Plus in West Lancashire in the last 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo: There have been no cases of forged (fraudulent) tax credit claims resulting in a prosecution relating to Jobcentre Plus in West Lancashire in the last 12 months.

Tax Credits

Paul Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the administrative cost of delivering tax credits was in each year since the system was introduced, broken down by main category of expenditure including (a) IT and (b) staff costs.

Dawn Primarolo: Analysis in the form requested was not maintained by the Inland Revenue. The gross cost of paying and managing tax credits in each year since the system was introduced is contained in the following publications, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
	19992000Note 3, Trust Statement, Department of Inland Revenue Annual Report year ending 31 March 2000, page 83
	200001Note 3, footnote 1, Trust Statement, Department of Inland Revenue Accounts 200102, page 45
	200102Note 4(b), Trust Statement, Department of Inland Revenue Accounts 200203, page 56
	200203Note 3 (iv), Trust Statement, Department of Inland Revenue Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31 March 2004, page 104
	200304Note 3 (iv)v Trust Statement, Department of Inland Revenue Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31 March 2004, page 104
	200405Note 3.4, Trust Statement, Department of Inland Revenue Accounts 200405, page 78.

Tax Returns

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there are circumstances in which HM Revenue and Customs allows a public or private body to carry over its (a) pay-as-you-earn tax and (b) national insurance contributions payments to the following financial year.

Dawn Primarolo: Employers are obliged to pay over deductions from employees' wages in respect of tax and national insurance contributions to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) within 14 days of the end of the relevant Income Tax month ending on the 5th of each month (or 17 days if paid by an approved electronic payment method). HMRC is however prepared to help and support employers experiencing temporary financial difficulties by considering delayed payment in settlement of liabilities. Different circumstances apply to individual cases so each case has to be dealt with on merit.

Trade Balance

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the medium- term effect of the recent trends in the balance of trade on the British economy.

John Healey: The trade in goods and services deficit was 47.1 billion in 2005, or 3.9 per cent. of GDP, compared to 3.4 per cent. in 2004. Despite the recent widening of the trade deficit, the UK's external position remains healthy. The current account deficit for the first three quarters of 2005 was 2.0 per cent. of GDP compared with 5.1 per cent. in 1989, and can be readily financed.

Winter Mortality Rates

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the excess winter mortality (a) rate and (b) numbers were for (i) those aged 65 to 80, (ii) those aged over 80, and (iii) all ages in (A) England and (B) West Lancashire in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 16 March 2006
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question concerning what the excess winter mortality (a) rate and (b) numbers were for (i) those aged 65 to 80 years, (ii) those aged over 80 years, and (iii) all ages in (A) England and (B) West Lancashire, in each of the last five years. 1 am replying in her absence. (58580)
	Available figures on excess winter deaths (the excess number of deaths each winter compared to the average during other months of the year) for the age groups and areas requested are included in the table below. The table gives the excess winter mortality (EWM) index, which is calculated as the excess number of winter deaths divided by the average number of non-winter deaths, expressed as a percentage.
	The latest available figures for England are for 2004/2005. These are provisional and are not available for areas smaller than Government Office Regions. The latest available figures for West Lancashire local authority are for 2003/2004.
	
		Excess winter deaths(28) for persons by age group and area of residency, 19992000 to 200405
		
			  6579 80 and over All ages 
			  (a) EWM index(29) (b) number (a) EWM index(29) (b)number (a)EWM index(29) (b)number 
		
		
			 England(30)   
			 19992000 25.8 14,820 37.9 27,270 29.1 45,650 
			 200001 11.9 6,570 20.2 15,080 14.8 23,290 
			 200102 12.8 6,840 22.7 17,260 16.4 25,790 
			 200203 11.6 6,060 18.9 14,820 14.3 22,620 
			 200304 11.7 5,950 18.2 14,470 13.9 21,930 
			 200405(31) 15.1 7,400 25.3 19,600 19.6 29,700 
			
			 West Lancashire  
			 19992000 11.0 20 26.6 40 18.4 70 
			 200001 21.1 30 40.6 70 27.8 100 
			 200102 16.0 20 22.2 40 12.5 50 
			 200203 6.7 10 1.8 0 7.5 30 
			 200304 2.5 0 10.4 20 6.0 20 
		
	
	(28) Excess winter deaths are defined as the difference between the number of deaths during the four winter (December to March) and the average number of deaths during the preceding four months (August to November) and the following four months (April to July). Figures for 19992000 to 200304 are final estimates rounded to the nearest 10.
	(29) The excess winter deaths index is calculated as the excess number of winter deaths divided by the average number of non-winter deaths, expressed as a percentage.
	(30) Data are based on occurrences of death each month.
	(31) Figures for 200405 are provisional These are rounded to the nearest 100 for England.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Debt Write-off

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  which countries have had 100 per cent. of their debts written off by the UK since 1997;
	(2)  what the total amount of third-world debt written off by the UK has been since 1997.

Hilary Benn: The UK is committed to the goal of 100 per cent. debt relief for the poorest countries that will use the savings for poverty reduction. Bilateral (government-government) debt owed to the UK comprises debt owed to the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD), CDC (formerly know as the Commonwealth Development Corporation) and aid debts owed to DFID. A detailed explanation of the various kinds of debt relief can be found in the DFID report 'Statistics on International Development', copies of which are in the Libraries of the House.
	Debt relief for the poorest, most indebted countries (most of which are in sub-Saharan Africa) is given primarily through the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative. Detailed information on debt relief being given to HIPCs can be found in the World Bank and IMF HIPC Status of Implementation report of August 2005, which is available at the following website address:
	http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTDEBTDEPT/ProgressReports/20659519/081905.pdf
	We continue to press for the full implementation of the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative, and meet and exceed our debt cancellation obligations under the initiative. The UK writes off 100 per cent. of bilateral debts for HIPC countries when they complete the initiative and holds in trust any debt service payments received from HIPC countries that have not yet qualified for debt relief, to be returned for spending on poverty reduction once they qualify.
	16 of the 18 HIPCs that have completed the HIPC initiative have had ECGD debt cancelled since 1997 (a total of 1,081.6 million). These countries are Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guyana, Mali, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Niger, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Honduras and Rwanda have also completed the initiative, but had no debts to the ECGD.
	A further 11 million, the UK's share of loans made jointly with European Economic Community (EEC) partners in 1978, has been written off for the Completion Point HIPCs.
	The UK has cancelled 100 per cent. of loans, totalling 46.9 million, held by CDC for Completion Point HIPCs Ghana, Honduras, Tanzania and Uganda. We have also cancelled 100 per cent. of CDC debt for Pakistan, totalling 23.1 million.
	DFID cancelled the vast majority of aid loans prior to 1997 (totalling 1.2 billion). Since 1997, the UK has cancelled 100 per cent. of bilateral aid loans (totalling 57.7 million) for Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Mauritius, the Solomon Islands, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tonga and the Turks and Caicos Islands under the Commonwealth Debt Initiative. We have also cancelled 100 per cent. of bilateral aid loans worth 4.9 million to Nigeria.
	The largest ever single debt deal for an African country was agreed by the Paris Club group of bilateral Government creditors for Nigeria in 2005, resolving 100 per cent. of Nigeria's debts to Paris Club, and writing off $18 billion worth of debt stock. The UK share of this write-off was 2.8 billion. A Paris Club debt deal for Iraq in 2005 wrote off 80 per cent. of that country's debt (60 per cent. of which has so far been delivered), with the UK agreeing to write off a total of $1.4 billion as part of this.
	In additional to this bilateral debt cancellation, the UK will also play its full part in financing 100 per cent. multilateral debt cancellation at the World Bank and the African Development Bank proposed by the G8. We have also committed to pay our share (10 per cent.) of debt service payments owed to the concessional lending arms of the World Bank and the African Development Bank on behalf of qualifying countries that are not eligible for this initiative.

Financial Irregularities

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many cases of financial irregularities have been recorded in his Department in each of the last five financial years; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The following table shows the number of cases of financial irregularities recorded in DFID in each of the last financial years:
	
		
			 Financial year Number of cases Total value () 
		
		
			 200001 11 18,000 
			 200102 13 89,000 
			 200203 15 104,000 
			 200304 17 406,000 
			 200405 24 158,000 
		
	
	DFID is committed to ensuring that its resources will be used only for the purposes intended. We have clear anti-fraud policies and fraud response plans and have created avenues for staff and external parties to report their suspicions of fraud. The number of cases coming to light has increased year-on-year has is part due to improved reporting procedures and enhanced fraud awareness training, which is now provided to all staff as part of their induction to DFID.

Lesotho

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department has taken to develop twinning and partnership arrangements between Lesotho and the UK.

Hilary Benn: I refer my hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Clwyd to the response I gave on 7 March 2006, Official Report, column 1387W.

Nepal

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid his Department provides for programmes to support children orphaned or displaced by the civil war in Nepal.

Gareth Thomas: The continuing conflict in Nepal is directly responsible for increases in the number of children being orphaned and/or displaced.
	During 200305, DFID provided 720,000 to Save the Children for a programme to assist children affected by armed conflict. The programme helped establish protection committees and child protection officers in those districts most impacted by the conflict. It also created information systems to monitor child movements, provided direct support to 10,000 separated and vulnerable children and support for the repair and maintenance of schools and health posts.
	DFID's Community Support Programme, which provides for small scale infrastructure improvements at a community level has provided funds to 20 schools in 5 districts in the Mid and Far West of Nepal, to ensure that internally displaced children can continue their education in their new locations, by increasing the number of class rooms. Our support for the Education For All programme, alongside the World Bank and other bilateral donors, is aimed at supporting progress towards the education Millennium Development Goals for all children in Nepal.
	DFID has also provided financial support to the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children's Watch list. The Children's Watch list aims to provide a monitoring and reporting structure to detail key factors related to the impact or threat of armed violence on children and to strengthen regional and international networks of NGOs to work more effectively to protect children.
	Our support for UNICEF has enabled them to develop their knowledge base and to advocate for the promotion and protection of the rights of children caught in armed conflicts around the world, including in Nepal.

Nepal

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what loans have been approved in relation to Nepal in the last two years; and what conditions have been attached to each loan.

Gareth Thomas: DFID only provides grants to Nepal, but loans are provided by international financial institutions of which the UK is a shareholder. The following loans have been approved by these institutions since 15 March 2004:
	World Bank
	Health Sector programme (US$ 10 million loan). This programme seeks to address inequities and improve public health services in Nepal. The loan (and US$ 40 million grant) has the following conditions: the budget allocated to the Ministry of Health shall not be less than 5 per cent. of the total government budget in each year; the Ministry of Health will organise twice yearly joint reviews to review work-plans and budgets; the Ministry of Health will submit progress reports and plans to the World Bank before the joint reviews; and annual financial audit reports will be carried out by an independent auditor within 12 months of the end of the fiscal year.
	Education for All programme (US$ 50 million loan). This programme aims to improve access to, and benefit from basic, and primary education for children, especially girls and children from disadvantaged groups, and from literacy programmes for poor adults. The loan conditions are: the development and adoption of an operational manual for the administration of school grants; the provision of trimester financial monitoring reports and annual financial audits within specified periods; establishment of a programme management committee; the government to ensure that schools receiving grants carry out social audits; the Ministry of Education to implement activities under the environmental management and vulnerable communities development plans; the government to ensure that sufficient staff and consultants are available to manage textbook development, production and distribution; the government shall produce a pre-qualified list of non-governmental organisations to provide support services; and the government shall provide annual work plans and budgets for the basic and primary education programme.
	Second Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project (US$ 25.3 million loan). This project will improve rural water supply and sanitation sector institutional performance and support communities to plan, implement, and operate drinking water and sanitation facilities. There are no conditions attached to this loan.
	Asian Development Bank
	Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women project (US$ 10 million loan). The project is designed to facilitate a process of social, economic, legal and political empowerment of poor rural women. The loan conditions concern: the establishment of project management and co-ordination arrangements; adequate counterpart funding; the use of poverty and social mapping; the targeting of support on dalits (disadvantaged castes) and ethnic minorities; changes in laws relating to discrimination against women, domestic violence and the activities of the National Women's Commission and the National Dalit Commission; the exemption of women's savings and credit clubs from particular articles of the central bank act; and completion of an institutional audit for the Department of Women Development and preparation of human resource and professional development plans.
	Skills for Employment project (US$ 20 million loan). The project aims to increase access to quality demand-driven skills training. The loan conditions require the establishment of a project implementation unit and project steering committee; approval of technical education policy and plans; inclusion of districts based on poverty and deprivation criteria; and targeting on women and dalits.
	Community-Managed Irrigated Agriculture Sector project (US$ 20 million loan). The Project will enhance the livelihood of rural smallholders by improving the performance of the existing farmer-managed irrigation systems suffering low productivity and poverty in the Central and Eastern Development regions of Nepal, while establishing sound service delivery mechanisms and community institutions to support this end. The loan conditions concern the establishment of a project management office; acceptable contracting arrangements between central government and the district development committees and consultants; appropriate policy and institutional reforms; adequate sub-project selection criteria; farmer contributions; financial management systems; adherence to laws on land acquisition and resettlement; environmental management and gender targeting.
	Sub-regional Transport Facilitation project (US$ 20 million loan). The project will improve transport infrastructure and trade facilitation arrangements between Nepal and neighbouring countries. The loan conditions concern compliance with land acquisition and resettlement policy; adequate procurement standards for the selection of management consultants; environmental management; introduction of tolls to cover maintenance; provision of counterpart funds; adherence to vehicle load enforcement measures; the opening hours of customs posts and independent technical audits.
	Decentralized Rural Infrastructure and Livelihoods project (US$ 40 million loan). The project aims to achieve sustainable increased access to economic and social services, and enhanced social and financial capital for people in 18 poor and remote districts. The loan conditions concern the finalisation of policy on local infrastructure development; counterpart funding; the use of project agreements between district government and communities on financing and construction standards; appropriate sub-project selection criteria including resettlement issues; adherence to road maintenance and environmental standards; adherence to labour laws and project gender action plan; provision of implementation and monitoring plans; and the opening of a project account at the central bank.

Water (Millennium Development Goal 7)

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken to ensure that (a) Millennium Development Goal 7 is met in East Africa and (b) targets to increase sustainable access to drinking water are met.

Hilary Benn: DFID is undertaking work in East Africa on Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7, which aims to ensure environmental sustainability. DFID has provided assistance in the preparation of poverty reduction strategies for Uganda and Tanzania so that relevant environmental issues are more appropriately reflected. Similarly, DFID Kenya, through the Poverty Environment Initiative (PEI), is supporting more effective integration of environmental issues into national and district planning and policy processes to implement the Economic Recovery Strategy for Employment and Wealth Creation.
	At a regional level, we are supporting the Nile Basin Initiative. This promotes greater co-operation and more sustainable management and use of the river Nile resources among riparian states, including East African countries.
	In line with G8 commitments on climate change, we are also contributing to international efforts to strengthen existing climate institutions in Africa, including in East Africa, through the regional implementation plans of the Global Climate Observation System.
	The MDG target of halving the proportion of people without access to safe water by 2015 is on track to be met globally, but not in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia. Provision of clean and affordable water and sanitation is central to DFID discussions with developing country Governments. Our approach is to help developing country Governments to implement their own plans, both by direct financing and providing technical know-how. We are also taking steps to make the international system, particularly the UN, more effective, through our support to UN-Water, and to the Joint Monitoring Programme that measures global progress towards access to safe water and basic sanitation.
	DFID is committed to doubling spending on water in Africa to 95 million by 2008. We are now actively involved in seven African countries (Ethiopia, DRC, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia), up from only two countries, two years ago; and through our funding of other agencies' programmes, we reach many other countries. For example, the EU plans to provide 10 million people with access to water and a further five million to sanitation by 2010 through projects it has recently approved through the Water Facility.
	For more information see DFID's Water Action plan, published in March 2004 (http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/dfid-water-action-plan.pdf), and the regular updates of progress against the plan, the next being due at the end of March 2006.

Water Fund Programme

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the Government has given to the Water Fund Programme in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has not funded and is not aware of the Water Fund Programme.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Distraction Crime

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will bring forward proposals to tackle distraction crime associated with cold calling.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Distraction crime is a mater for the Home Office. The DTI is currently working on how to implement the Unfair Commercial Practice Directive.

Energy Review

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to his answer of 13 February 2006, Official Report, column 1644W, on the Energy Review, when the latest projections will be published; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

Malcolm Wicks: Our latest energy and emissions projections were published on 16 February 2006. They can be found on the DTI website at:
	http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/sepn/uep_feb2006.pdf. A hard copy is also available in the Libraries of the House, in the statistics section under the title UK Energy and CO 2 Emissions Projections: Updated Projections to 2020.

European Energy Grid

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government's policy is on a single European energy grid.

Malcolm Wicks: Greater integration of energy networks across the EU is needed to support the development of the internal market and to ensure security of supply. Achieving such integration requires an increase in cross-border trading and infrastructure to allow energy to flow to meet demand. The Government have strongly supported the development of thinking on this subject and will be pressing for action at both the Energy and Spring European Councils.

Fusion Research

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much the Government have spent on fusion research at Culham (a) directly and (b) through its contribution to EU programmes in the last 10 years.

Barry Gardiner: The information is as follows:
	(a) UK Government expenditure on fusion research at Culham in the last 10 years is given in the table. This covers funding for the UK's own national research programme and for the UK's contributions to the operation of the Joint European Torus (JET).
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 199596 15.7 
			 199697 12.1 
			 199798 16.6 
			 199899 12.6 
			 199900 14.3 
			 200001 17.0 
			 200102 14.4 
			 200203 14.6 
			 200304 15.6 
			 200405 19.5 
		
	
	(b) Fusion research at Culham has also benefited from funding from EURATOM and from contributions from other European fusion programmes. Funding has been received for both the UK's own programme of research and for the operation of JET. Until the end of 1999, the JET Joint Undertaking was responsible for the operation of JET at Culham, and its income in million ECUs from EURATOM and from other European fusion programmes was approximately as follows:
	
		
			  ECU million 
		
		
			 1995 74 
			 1996 67 
			 1997 69 
			 1998 68 
			 1999 69 
		
	
	EURATOM's funding of the UK's own programme of research from 199596 to 199899 was as follows:
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 199596 2.8 
			 199697 3.9 
			 199798 3.8 
			 199899 3.8 
		
	
	Since January 2000, UKAEA has assumed responsibility for the operation of JET as a facility for fusion scientists from around Europe (including the UK). Funding received by UKAEA from EURATOM for both the operation of JET and the UK programme of fusion research at Culham since 2000 is shown in the table. (Note, however, that these totals include some funding for JET from other European fusion programmes. They also include the UK's host contribution to JET, also in the figures in part (a), which varies from year to year but is typically around 6 million.)
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 199900 10.1 
			 200001 36.4 
			 200102 39.6 
			 200203 36.4 
			 200304 42.8 
			 200405 47.2 
		
	
	The UK contributes to EURATOM fusion budget through its share of the funding of the European Union. The latter varies year-on-year and is typically in the region of 13 per cent.

Futures and Options Association

Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made on implementing the outcomes resulting from his Department's participation in the Futures and Options Association's power trading forum round table on 6 November 2005.

Malcolm Wicks: Following the Future and Options Association's (FOA) Roundtables on gas and power, held on 1 November and 24 November 2005 respectively, the FOA, working closely with my Department and Ofgem, are taking forward work on a number of priority actions including:
	To establish a Steering Group to assess the viability of and, as appropriate, take forward the establishment of an auction market for the trading of UK power;
	To respond to the recent Government announcement for reviewing its energy policy, particularly in the context of appropriate market mechanisms, and to brief MPs on energy issues (FOA organised a roundtable under the auspices of the Associate Parliamentary Group on Wholesale Financial Markets and Services on 6 March);
	To hold a further roundtable for brokerage houses and investment banks to ascertain their views on the state of the energy market;
	To meet with users and groups of users (e.g. CBI) to explain the changing regulatory position to them, ascertain their concerns over the state of the energy market, and to help develop an appropriate introductory training programme for industrial and commercial users on the basic principles of risk management.

Gas Imports

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what increases in capacity to import gas are planned for winter 200607.

Malcolm Wicks: There are currently three import projects due to commission for winter 200607. The projects are: the new Langeled pipeline from Norway, a new interconnector between Great Britain and the Netherlands and a further upgrade to the existing Interconnector between Great Britain and Belgium. The three projects when fully operational are expected to increase Great Britain's maximum daily import capacity by 133 million cubic metres.

Military Equipment Exports

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has made an assessment of whether UK-owned companies are using foreign subsidiaries to export military equipment to countries which would not be approved for export under UK and EU regulations.

Malcolm Wicks: No. The Government controls exports from the UK and trafficking and brokering activities as specified in its export control legislation. Beyond this the Government does not control the activities of UK companies or their subsidiaries. Exports from other destinations are a matter for the governments of those destinations.

Post Offices

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  how many post offices in West Lancashire constituency receive rural support funding;
	(2)  what the value is of the subsidy his Department proposes to pay during the 200607 financial year to Post Offices Ltd. for the maintenance of (a) rural and (b) other post offices in West Lancashire.

Barry Gardiner: The Government's annual funding of up to 150 million helps Post Office Ltd. to maintain non-commercial rural post offices. The funding supports the costs associated with maintaining the rural network, for example, fixed pay to sub-postmasters and cash distribution costs. It is not a fund that supports individual post offices and cannot be disaggregated by constituency.

Wave Power

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to his Answer of 30 January 2006, Official Report, columns 1134W, on wave power, what funding his Department has allocated for wave energy research and development projects in each year since 2000.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 14 March 2006
	The following table shows the amount spent on wave energy research and development projects in each year since 2000. The total is less than the amount endorsed (provided in the answer referred to in this question) as some projects are still ongoing and some have spent less than the amount allocated to them.
	
		
			 Year in which invoices were paid Spend () 
		
		
			 2000 184,452 
			 2001 633,247 
			 2002 688,983 
			 2003 1,994,102 
			 2004 666,891 
			 2005 142,748 
			 2006 150,595 
			 Total 4,461,018

Wind Farms

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the applications for wind farm developments in Lancashire which have been submitted to his Department for decision.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 10 March 2006
	Only one at Scout Moor, near Rochdale and Rossendale, which was granted consent on 25 May 2005.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British service men and women are serving in Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 14 March 2006
	As of 13 March 2006, there were just over 2,300 British service personnel serving in Afghanistan.

C130J Progamme

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why the classified programme on C130J referred to in Chapter 18 of the Ministry of Defence's annual report and accounts was cancelled; what assessment has been made of the operational implications; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: This programme was cancelled in light of emerging costs and competing priorities. The impact on operations was assessed and steps were taken to provide the capability where appropriate.

Sudan

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether plans are in place to deploy British troops to Darfur; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Four British troops are currently deployed in support of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS).
	One United Kingdom logistics specialist has been deployed, as an advisor, to the Joint Logistics Operation Centre, El Fashir in Darfur; one UK NATO officer has deployed and is fulfilling the liaison role between NATO and the African Union (AU); one UK NATO officer and one UK NATO non-commissioned officer have been deployed and are assisting with the coordination of strategic lift to AMIS.
	At present, there are no plans to deploy any further military personnel to Darfur, however, any requests from the AU for additional support would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Decommissioning

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact on capability of the recent decommissioning of (a) RFA Grey Rover and (b) HMS Spartan; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The rationale behind the reduction in the number of Royal Fleet Auxiliaries and attack submarines was explained in the Defence White Paper on the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence White Paper: Future Capabilities (Command 04/72).

Dismounted Countermine Capability

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the UK's dismounted countermine capability requirement.

Adam Ingram: The Dismounted Countermine Capability programme (DCMC) will provide dismounted personnel with an improved capability to locate and deal with anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. Progress is proceeding according to plan: an Invitation to tender was issued to four companies on 19 December 2005 with bids expected back for assessment on 10 March 2006. The programme is currently on course to meet its next major milestone, submission of a Main Gate Business Case in July 2006 seeking approval for demonstration and manufacture.

Drugs

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel in each of the Services were subject to tests for illegal drug use in each quarter of each of the last five years.

Don Touhig: holding answer 10 March 2006
	The number of personnel in the Army and the RAF who were subject to Compulsory Drug Tests (CDT) for illegal drug use in each quarter of each of the last five years are shown in the tables below (the figures in the case of the Army are correct within plus or minus 100). The breakdown by quarter is not available for the Royal Navy and totals are shown for each year only.
	
		Army personnel tested for illegal drugs by CDT teams 200105
		
			  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total 
		
		
			 2001 27457 23158 21420 21490 93525 
			 2002 23000 19477 18752 23263 84492 
			 2003 25644 20656 21808 19454 87562 
			 2004 25457 21419 20803 19375 87054 
			 2005 24869 23341 19039 22152 89401 
		
	
	
		RAF personnel tested for illegal drugs by CDT teams 200105
		
			  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total 
		
		
			 2001 2758 2834 3683 4126 13401 
			 2002 2147 3418 2687 2844 11096 
			 2003 2652 2360 4433 4125 13570 
			 2004 1667 3519 2973 3673 11832 
			 2005 2476 4491 2963 2878 12808 
		
	
	
		RN personnel tested for illegal drugs by CDT teams 200105
		
			  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total 
		
		
			 2001 U/K U/K U/K U/K 12892 
			 2002 U/K U/K U/K U/K 12901 
			 2003 U/K U/K U/K U/K 13803 
			 2004 U/K U/K U/K U/K 12192

Eurofighter

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Eurofighters have been ordered by the UK; and what his latest estimate is of the expected price per aircraft.

Adam Ingram: The UK has 144 Eurofighter-Typhoon Tranche 1 and 2 aircraft on order. This forms part of the 384 aircraft currently under contract by the four partner nations. The unit production cost of Tranche 1 and 2 Typhoon, as published in Major Projects Report 2005, is 64.8 million.

HMS Endurance

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the nature of repairs required by HMS Endurance are that necessitated the ship docking at Puerto Belgrano in Argentina.

Adam Ingram: HMS Endurance had developed a rudder defect which required repair in dry dock for a short period before the ship could continue her operational programme. The work is being undertaken in the Puerto Belgrano Naval Base in Argentina, which is the nearest dry dock with the requisite facilities.

Iraq

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on training given by the Royal Navy to the Iraqi navy since 2003.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 15 March 2006
	The Iraqi navy (formerly the Iraqi Coastal Defence Force) has made significant progress since 2003 under the auspices of the Royal Navy and Coalition partners. The UK has played a lead role in this development by providing a Naval Assistance and Training Team of almost 50 personnel at Umm Qasr Naval Base, officer training at Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth, and seaborne support to the Iraqi navy and Marines during maritime security operations in the northern Arabian Gulf.

Iraq

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers on operational tour in Iraq went absent without leave in each quarter since January 2004.

Don Touhig: There have been no reports of soldiers on operational tour in Iraq going absent without leave (AWOL) over the period in question. However, this does not include those individuals who may have gone AWOL while returning partway through their tour of Iraq on rest and recuperation or for other reasons; this level of data is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Joint Strike Fighter Programme

David Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many meetings (a) he, (b) his Ministers and (c) staff from his Department have had with (i) US defence officials and (ii) members of Congress to discuss the Joint Strike Fighter programme; and what the purpose of these meetings was in each case.

Adam Ingram: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made in my answer of 3 March to the hon. Member for Gravesham (Mr. Holloway), Official Report, column 1000W, and to my answer of 23 January to the right hon. Member for Fylde (Mr. Jack), Official Report, column 1714W. Regular discussions take place at all levels with the US Administration on all aspects of the Joint Strike Fighter programme. Ministry of Defence and other Ministers continue to raise project issues during their discussions with key members of the US Administration, including testimony by my noble Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement (Lord Drayson) and the Chief of the Air Staff to the Senate Armed Services Committee on 14 March.

Nurses

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) establishment and (b) number of staff in post of nurses is in each of the services.

Don Touhig: Available information on nursing service strength and requirement for each of the services is given in the following table 1 .
	1 Figures comprise Trained UK Regular Forces and FTRS (Full Time Reserve Service) personnel. They include Registered General Nurses (RGN) and Mental Health Nurses (RMN).
	
		As at 1 January 2006 -- Number
		
			  Trained strength Requirement(32) 
		
		
			 Naval service(33) 290 330 
			 Officers 90 110 
			 Other ranks 200 220 
			 Army(34)(5508960035) 840 1,080 
			 Officers(36) 270 380 
			 Other ranks 570 690 
			
			 Royal Air Force 420 430 
			 Officers(37) 120 130 
			 Other ranks 300 300 
		
	
	(32) Requirement is establishment and manning and training margin (MTM).
	(33) Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service (QARNNS).
	(34) Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps (QARANC).
	(35) Army requirement is based on the Regular Army Liability 09.
	(36) Figures exclude the ranks Colonel and above.
	(37) Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service ( MRAFNS).
	Source:
	DASA (Tri-Service)
	In light of current operational planning assumptions, the tri-Service manning requirement for the Defence Medical Services (DMS) is currently under review. As a result, the total DMS requirement figures are expected to decrease in the near future.
	All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Due to the rounding methods used, figures may not always equal the sum of the parts. When rounding to the nearest 10, numbers ending in five have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

Prisoners of War

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his oral statement of 12 December 2005, Official Report, columns 111921, on former Far East Prisoners of War and Civilian Internees (Ex Gratia Scheme), when he expects the review (a) to be completed and (b) to report to Ministers; and when he expects to make a statement to the House.

Don Touhig: I expect to receive a report setting out the conclusions of the review before the end of March and to make a statement to the House regarding its findings in a similar time scale.

Prisoners of War

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written statement of 30 January 2006, Official Report, columns 23WS, on the Far East Prisoners of War and Civilian Internees (FEPOW) Scheme, when he expects the independent investigation being conducted by Mr. David Watkins (a) to be completed and (b) to report to Ministers; and when he expects to make a statement to the House.

Don Touhig: The independent investigation I announced in my statement to the House on 30 January is making good progress. I expect David Watkins to give me his final report by the end of June. I will make a statement about its findings as soon as I have considered these and decided how to respond to any recommendations that he may make.

Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) actual strength and (b) establishment is of (i) nurses and (ii) nursing officers in the Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service.

Don Touhig: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		As at 1 January 2006
		
			  Naval Nurses Nursing Officers 
		
		
			 Total Strength 240 90 
			 Untrained 40 (38) 
			 Trained 200 90 
			 Trained Requirement 220 110 
		
	
	(38) Numbers less than five.
	Notes:
	1. In light of current operational planning assumptions, the tri-Service manning requirement for the Defence Medical Services (DMS) is currently under review. As a result, the total DMS requirement figures are expected to decrease in the near future.
	2. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Numbers ending in five have been rounded to the nearest even multiple of 10.
	3. Figures given are all regular service personnelnone of the current full-time Reserve Service personnel are Naval Nurses/Nursing Officers.

Defence Science and Technology Laboratory

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the suitability of RAF Lyneham for the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the merits of the collocation of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory with (a) the Defence Logistics Organisation and (b) the Defence Procurement Agency.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 10 March 2006
	As a result of a detailed study in 2003, including inter-departmental consultation, it was decided that the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) Trading Fund should undertake a major consolidation of its staff and activities onto three of its existing sites: Porton Down, in Wiltshire, Portsdown West in Hampshire, and Fort Halstead in Kent. The aim wasand remainsto create an integrated laboratory where different technical teams can work closely together with greater synergy and thereby improve the support Dstl gives to its customers in MOD and elsewhere in Government.
	Dstl does not currently operate from sites occupied by the Defence Logistics Organisation or Defence Procurement Agency. The additional costs and disruption to operations of collocating at entirely new sites were judged to greatly outweigh the limited benefits that might have resulted. Such a step was, in practice, unlikely to achieve the required business objectives.

Royal Navy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the (a) actual strength and (b) establishment of (i) engineering technicians, (ii) operator mechanics and (iii) communication technicians in the Royal Navy.

Don Touhig: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  As at 1 January 2006 
			   Regular Strength 
			  Total Strength Untrained Trained FTRS Trained Requirement 
		
		
			 Eng Techs, Arts and Mechs 11,210 1,660 9,390 160 9,900 
			 (Technicians) 400 380 30 0 2,300 
			 (Artificers) 5,430 1,050 4,280 100 4,050 
			 (Mechanics) 5,380 230 5,090 60 3,560 
			 Operator Maintainers 6,980 480 6,430 70 6,550 
			 Communications Technicians 310 40 270 (39) 230 
		
	
	(39) Less than five.
	Notes:
	Engineering Technicians are new branches which are being formed by the merger of the old artificer and mechanics branches. This process is still in transition, so to get a clear picture of strengths against requirement it is necessary to look at all three groups together.
	Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Numbers ending in five have been rounded to the nearest even multiple of 10
	The trained strength and the FTRS (full-time Reserve Service) are both used to fill trained requirement posts.

Veterans Day

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what preparations have been made for Veterans Day on 27 June.

Don Touhig: holding answer 13 March 2006
	The decision to hold an annual Veterans Day was announced on 13 February, and I wrote to hon. Members on 23 February to advise them that this would be on 27 June each year. Detailed planning is now well advanced and I will make a further statement shortly setting out our intentions.

Veterans Day

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department made the decision to hold a Veterans Day on 27 June.

Don Touhig: holding answer 13 March 2006
	The decision to hold an annual Veterans Day was announced on 13 February, and I wrote to hon. Members on 23 February to advise them that this would be on 27 June each year. There will be a free event in London linked to the celebrations of the 150th Anniversary of the Victoria Cross, which we hope will attract school children, veterans and other members of the public. It is hoped that events will also be held in other parts of the country on or around 27 June celebrating the contribution that veterans of all ages have made to our Nation. Further details will be published shortly.

SCOTLAND

Energy/Water Efficiency

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the Department's building programme budget was allocated to (a) energy self-generation and (b) water recycling measures in the 200405 financial year.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office does not have a building programme.

Lockerbie

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive regarding the implications of the actions of the Scottish Criminal Records Office in the case of the Shirley McKie case for the Lockerbie convictions; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The work of the Scottish Criminal Records Office is a matter for the Scottish Executive.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Casinos (Manchester)

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations have been received by her Department (a) in favour of and (b) opposed to a Destination Casino for the City of Manchester.

Richard Caborn: A number of representations have been received in support of a regional casino in East Manchester. These include representations from New East Manchester Ltd. and the hon. Members for Manchester, Central and Manchester, Blackley.

Casinos (Manchester)

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions (a) she and (b) her officials have had with Manchester City Council regarding their proposals for a Destination Casino in East Manchester.

Richard Caborn: We have no record of any discussions with Manchester City Council about a regional casino in East Manchester.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has established an independent Casino Advisory Panel to advise her on the areas where the 17 new casinos permitted by the Gambling Act 2005 should be located.
	The deadline for local authorities to submit their proposals to the Panel is 31 March. Any local authority that wishes to make its case to the Panel, for one or more casinos in their area, may do so. The Panel will make its recommendations by the end of 2006.

English Heritage

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many properties (a) owned and (b) managed by English Heritage she has visited as part of her official duties in each of the past five years.

David Lammy: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell) on 20 December 2005, Official Report, column 2659W. I and my predecessors have regularly visited English Heritage and other heritage sites in the last five years.

English Heritage

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will publish the consultants' reports prepared in the development of the forthcoming Heritage White Paper; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: Two independent studies have been commissioned as part of the ongoing heritage protection review. An evaluation of eight of the English Heritage pilot projects set up to test out review recommendations, and an evaluation of the likely impact of proposals on local authorities based on a literature review and 16 case studies. Neither is yet complete. When they are, it is intended that the final reports will be sent to all those who participated and made publicly available but not formally published. The findings from both reports will be reflected when my Department publishes detailed policy proposals for reforming the heritage protection system later this year.

Gambling

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with (a) the Treasury and (b) the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on the implementation of the Gambling Act 2005.

Richard Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State regularly discusses a range of issues with colleagues in other Departments.

Gambling

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of problem gamblers.

Richard Caborn: The current estimate is that 0.6 per cent. of the adult population are problem gamblers. This figure is drawn from the most recent authoritative research: Kerry Sproston, Bob Erens and Jim Orford (2000): Gambling Behaviour in Britain: Results from the British Gambling Prevalence Study (National Centre for Social Research, June 2000). During the coming year, and before the Gambling Act 2005 is implemented, the Gambling Commission will be conducting new research into the prevalence of problem gambling.

Junk Food Advertising

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Office of Communications (Ofcom) on the publication of the Ofcom consultation on junk food advertising aimed at children.

James Purnell: Ministers and officials have had a number of discussions with Ofcom about the publication of its consultation on broadcast food promotion to children.

Swimming Pools

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many local authority (a) 50, (b) 25 and (c) under 25 metre swimming pools were (i) opened and (ii) closed in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: Access to good quality sporting provision, including swimming pools, is an essential part of enabling people to lead healthier lives and to participate in sport. There are currently over 4,400 swimming facilities across England which are open to the public.
	The table sets out the numbers of 50 metre, 25 metre and below-25 metre local authority owned swimming pools which have opened in each year since 1997. Information has been derived from the Active Places database. In addition, a further five local authority pools are planned to open in 2006.
	Information on closures of pools is not available for each year since 1997. However, in 2004, 10 local authority owned swimming pools closedfour of 25 metres' length and six of less than 25 metres. 18 pools closed in 2005seven of 25 metres' length and 11 of less than 25 metres. As the following table shows, in the same period 41 local authority owned pools across 27 sites were opened, demonstrating a net increase in provision over the two years.
	
		Number of openings of local authority owned swimming pools since 1997
		
			  50m pools 25m pools 25m pools 
		
		
			 1997  11 20 
			 1998  8 16 
			 1999  5 10 
			 2000 2 7 15 
			 2001  9 17 
			 2002  18 35 
			 2003  15 24 
			 2004  9 16 
			 2005  6 10

CABINET OFFICE

Civil Service Pay

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what are the average salaries of (a) all civil servants, (b) full-time civil servants and (c) part-time civil servants, broken down by (i) pay band and (ii) sex;
	(2)  what the average salary is of (a) male and (b) female civil servants.

Jim Murphy: Latest published information on average salaries for civil servants is published in Civil Service Statistics 2004. Table F covers permanent non-industrial staff by gross salary band gender, full-time, part-time and full-time equivalent basis.
	This table also shows the median, upper and lower quartiles of salaries. This information is available in the Library and on the at the Cabinet Office Statistics website at http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/publications/xls/report_2004/table_f.xls.

Social Exclusion

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what funding streams his Department plans to finance in 200607 to tackle social exclusion.

Jim Murphy: The Cabinet Office coordinates policy and operations across Government through the secretariats and the Government Communication Unit. It seeks to improve delivery by building capacity in Departments and the public services.
	There are currently no funding streams planned within Cabinet Office which will be solely dedicated to tackling social exclusion. However, a key theme of the Transformational Government strategy is tailoring services to the needs of customers and increasing accessibility through the use of digital channels.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Correspondence

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many letters have been sent between his Department and the Kent Science Park since July 2004.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I understand that two letters have been sent by my Thames Gateway Delivery Unit to Kent Science Park direct and one letter has been received from Kent Science Park.

Departmental Staff

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many jobs from his Department have been relocated to Wales since 2001.

Jim Fitzpatrick: None from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (central), but the Planning Inspectorate has created 5 posts in Wales since 2001.

Government Office for the South West

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much it has cost to run the Government Office for the South West in each of the last five years; and how many staff were employed at that Office in each year.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The total running costs and the number of staff employed in the Government Office for the South West for the last five years are listed in the following table:
	
		
			  Budget () Staff (FTE) 
		
		
			 200102 10,494,490 388 
			 200203 11,883,418 391 
			 200304 13,858,840 366 
			 200405 14,434,570 359 
			 200506 14,789,320 348 
		
	
	FTE=Full time equivalent

Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether his Department has had discussions in respect of reorganising local government (a) structures and (b) functions of the metropolitan districts of Greater Manchester.

Phil Woolas: My right hon. Friend, the Minister for Communities and Local Government visited Manchester last year as part of his programme of City Summits. Since then the Department has held follow up meetings, at which a range of topics have been discussed and may have included, on occasion, the structures and functions of the metropolitan districts of Greater Manchester.

Housing (Coventry, South)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what money is available for housing associations to build houses in Coventry South in each of the next three financial years.

Yvette Cooper: The Housing Corporation has submitted the National Affordable Housing Programme for the next two years for approval. It is anticipated that announcements will be made shortly. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will be in a position to confirm the allocation made to Coventry when the announcement is made. The allocation for Coventry is not split between the North and South of the city.

Local Vision Programme

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Government have to amend the governance of the English regional chambers as part of his Department's local vision programme.

Yvette Cooper: In the context of the recommendation, made by Kate Barker in the Review of Housing Supply, that Regional Housing Boards and Regional Planning bodies be merged, the Government asked the Regional Assemblies for details of how they might assume this merged responsibility and to confirm that they have streamlined decisions making processes in place and provide for broad representation among members from across their regions and sub-regions. Beyond this the Government have no plans to further review the governance arrangements of assemblies.

Planning Policy Statement 3

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place in the Library copies of each response to his Department's consultation on Planning Policy Statement 3.

Yvette Cooper: The aim is to publish Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing in its final form in the summer, at which time the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will place copies of the responses it received in its Library. Coinciding with this, in accordance with current practice, a list of those responses will also be provided to the Library of the House.

Thames Gateway

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will estimate the likely cost to public funds associated with the Thames Gateway regeneration project, including costs in respect of additional urban centre renewal and management, site acquisition and decontamination, flood defence and new transport infrastructure;
	(2)  if he will estimate the expenditure likely to be required to deliver the expansion of (a) public services and (b) utilities in each district of the Thames Gateway as a consequence of his plans for the area.

Yvette Cooper: Between 2003 and 2006, the Government will have spent approximately 6 billion in the Thames Gateway. A breakdown of these expenditures is included in the publication Creating Sustainable Communities: Delivering the Thames Gateway.

Thames Gateway

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will ensure that expected population growth within Thames Gateway as a consequence of his plans for the area is taken into account in the determination of the budgets of local authorities.

Yvette Cooper: The Local Government Finance Settlements for 200607 and 200708 laid before the House on 31 January 2006 include the use of population projections as the dominant data drivers of population in the settlements. The population projections used are Office for National Statistics (ONS) trend based projections based on the ONS mid-2003 population estimates. This will make the settlement more forward-looking as the projections reflect demographic trends seen in an area.
	As part of its response to the independent review of housing supply produced by Kate Barker, the Government has announced that there will be further consultation this year on housing and planning incentives for local authorities, and a cross-cutting review within the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review to ensure that appropriate infrastructure will be provided to support housing and population growth. The review will: determine the social, transport and environmental infrastructure implications of housing growth in different spatial forms and locations; establish a framework for sustainable and cost-effective patterns of growth, including by examining the use of targeted investment through the Community Infrastructure Fund and Growth Areas funding to support the fastest-growing areas; and ensure that departmental resources across Government are targeted appropriately for providing the national, regional and local infrastructure necessary to support future housing and population growth.

Thames Gateway

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Government has (a) estimated how much affordable key worker housing will need to be made available in the Thames Gateway to meet the staffing needs of frontline public services and (b) assessed where such housing will be required; and what assessment the Government has made of whether sufficient resources have been identified to provide for that housing.

Yvette Cooper: A target has been set that at least 120,000 homes will be built across the Thames Gateway of which at least 35 per cent. will be affordable for rent or purchase by first time buyers including key workers. This target is set out in Creating Sustainable Communities: delivering the Thames Gateway.
	Planning Policy Guidance Note 3: Housing (PPG3) advises that assessments of housing need, including affordable key worker housing and family housing, are matters for local authorities to undertake in the light of their local circumstances. These assessments help authorities to identify where such housing is required as part of preparing their development plan policies.
	Key Worker Living has provided funding for 1,105 new homes for key workers in the Thames Gateway from 200406 Housing Corporation Approved Development Programme. Future funding levels will be confirmed when the results of the National Affordable Housing Programme are announced in March 2006.

Town and Country Planning Act

David Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the operation of section 97 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended;
	(2)  if he will list the occasions when he has revoked planning permission under section 100 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended, since 1997;
	(3)  what recent representations he has received about his powers under section 100 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Local planning authorities have power under s97 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to make an order revoking or modifying a planning permission, prior to it being implemented, where they consider it expedient to do so. They should have regard to the development plan and to any other material consideration. This is not a routine justification since the fact that planning permission was granted indicates that the development was considered acceptable at the time. If an order is opposed, it has to be confirmed by the Secretary of State before it can take effect.
	The Secretary of State has power, under s100 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, to revoke or modify a planning permission granted by a local planning authority. Revocation or modification can only be made before a planning permission is implemented. The Secretary of State can use these powers as he thinks fit, after consultation with the local planning authority. Such intervention by the Secretary of State can only be justified in exceptional circumstances. However, the Secretary of State will generally use this power only if the original decision is judged to be grossly wrong, so that damage is likely to be done to the wider public interest.
	Where orders come before the Secretary of State the decision will be taken only after considering the evidence by way of written representations, a hearing or a public local inquiry. The more controversial cases will almost inevitably go to inquiry.
	Since 1997 the Secretary of State has used this power on 5 March 1998 to make a modification order to remove Al retail use from outline planning permission for an industrial site granted by Alnwick district council and on 9 March 2000 to make a revocation and a modification order in respect of proposals for a factory outlet shopping village in an isolated location in Restormel, Cornwall.
	The Office does not record representations received about the powers of the Secretary of State to revoke planning permissions.

Water Usage

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans are in place to include water use reduction measures in building regulations.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 27 February 2006
	We intend to regulate to reduce water use in new buildings. We are currently reviewing Building and Water Fitting Regulations with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and expect to publish detailed proposals later in the year.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Courts (Sitting Hours)

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to extend the sitting hours of criminal courts; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: The Government's Supporting Magistrates Courts to provide Justice White Paper published on 7 November 2005, states that the Government believe that greater flexibility should be introduced for magistrates court sitting hours where practical arrangements can be agreed locally with other key criminal justice system agencies. It sets out the need for magistrates courts to sit for a minimum of five hours per day, for each day that the courts are open.

Electoral Commission

Julie Morgan: To ask the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the operation of the Electoral Commission.

Harriet Harman: pursuant to the reply, 28 February 2006, Official Report, c. 121
	My previous answer stated that the Electoral Commission is an independent body established by Parliament reporting to the Speaker's Committee. Should they so wish, Members of Parliament may meet with Representatives of the Electoral Commission to discuss its work in areas such as electoral registration, election fraud and registration of service voters, so we have that additional transparency. Further to this Members of Parliament can ask the Speaker's Committee about the Commission's work.

Freedom of Information

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 February 2006, Official Report, column 2193W, on freedom of information, if she will bring forward legislation to include sports trusts providing services on behalf of a local authority within the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Harriet Harman: We are currently evaluating the impact of the FOI Act 2000 on those public bodies covered by the legislation. This evaluation will inform consideration of how best to use the power contained in Section 5 of the Act which provides for extension of coverage.

Immigration Judges

Clare Short: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what monitoring is undertaken of the decisions of individual immigration judges; and whether the results indicate that decision-making is consistent.

Bridget Prentice: Immigration Judges are independent members of the Judiciary, and as such it would be inappropriate for the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) to monitor or comment upon individual judicial decisions. Immigration Judges determine appeals based on their own findings of fact and by applying the law as established to that particular claim. Current case law and country guidance notes are available for Immigration Judges' reference in ensuring consistency of approach in determining appeals that raise similar issues.
	Within the AIT, a judicial management structure has been formed through the introduction of Designated Immigration Judges (DIJ) at each of the Tribunal's hearing centres. DIJ's guide and support small teams of Immigration Judges together with conducting regular appraisals with Immigration Judges. The judicial structure seeks to ensure that all judiciary have the resources and legislative knowledge to continue to produce high quality decisions within the Tribunal.

Job Relocation (Wales)

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many jobs in her Department have been relocated to Wales since 2001.

Harriet Harman: No DCA jobs have relocated to Wales since 2001.

Voter Registration

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many people have been penalised under the Representation of the People Regulations 2001 for failing to return voter registration forms since 2001, broken down by (a) region and (b) county.

Harriet Harman: Information on the number of prosecutions for this offence is not collected centrally or by region and county.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefits

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in West Lancashire constituency have received (a) widow's benefit, (b) housing benefit, (c) council tax credit and (d) income support in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: Widows benefit is not available broken down geographically prior to 1999. Housing benefit and council tax benefit figures are not available broken down by parliamentary constituency; local authority figures have been provided.
	The available information is in the tables.
	
		Widows benefit and bereavement benefit claimants in the Lancashire West parliamentary constituency: each August 19992005
		
			  Widows benefit Bereavement benefit 
		
		
			 August 1999 500 n/a 
			 August 2000 500 n/a 
			 August 2001 400 n/a 
			 August 2002 400 100 
			 August 2003 300 100 
			 August 2004 300 100 
			 August 2005 300 100 
		
	
	n/a=Figures not applicable
	Notes:
	1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	2. Bereavement benefit, which replaced widows benefit for new claims, was introduced in April 2001.
	Source:
	DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent.
	
		Housing benefit and council tax benefit case loads: West Lancashire district council; each August from 1997 to 2005
		
			  Housing benefit Council tax benefit 
		
		
			 August 1997 8,000 11,000 
			 August 1998 8,100 10,900 
			 August 1999 7,800 10,600 
			 August 2000 7,200 9,700 
			 August 2001 7,100 9,600 
			 August 2002 6,700 9,100 
			 August 2003 6,600 9,100 
			 August 2004 6,700 9,600 
			 August 2005 6,500 9,500 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.
	2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.
	3. Council tax benefit totals exclude any second adult rebate cases.
	4. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases.
	Source:
	Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. case load stock-count taken in August 1997 to August 2005.
	
		Income support claimants (excluding minimum income guarantee) in the Lancashire West parliamentary constituency; each August from 1997 to 2005
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 August 1997 4,100 
			 August 1998 3,700 
			 August 1999 4,100 
			 August 2000 4,000 
			 August 2001 4,000 
			 August 2002 3,900 
			 August 2003 3,800 
			 August 2004 3,600 
			 August 2005 3,400 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures for August 1999 to August 2005 are from the DWP 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study, while figures for August 1997 and August 1998 are derived by applying 5 per cent. proportions to 100 per cent. totals.
	2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.
	3. Income support figures exclude minimum income guarantee (MIG); pension credit replaced MIG on the 6 October 2003 and ended IS entitlement to customers aged 60+. Pension credit cases are not included in the figures in the table.
	Source:
	DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) and DWP Information Directorate 5 per cent. samples

Benefits

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action the Government are taking to encourage local authorities to develop strategies aimed at promoting take-up of benefits; and what national assessment has been made of the strategies already in place.

James Plaskitt: For the third year running, we are working with local authorities' in running publicity and marketing take up campaigns, aimed at getting people who are entitled to council tax benefit to claim it.
	People claiming pension credit can now claim housing benefit and council tax benefit at the same time. The Pension Service takes their details over the telephone and fills in a three page claim form on their behalf, so all they have to do is check and sign it before sending it on to the local authority for processing.
	Although no national assessment has been made, evaluation from last year's awareness campaign revealed that before the campaign, 13 per cent. of respondents knew something about council tax benefit; this was 29 per cent. after the campaign. The corresponding figures for people aged 65 and over were 27 per cent. and 50 per cent. respectively.
	The housing benefit/council tax benefit performance standards, against which local authorities are inspected by the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate and assessed for the comprehensive performance assessment, require local authorities to have a strategy to encourage take-up. Their activities should go beyond the first step of raising awareness and should include targeted campaigns and partnership working with other stakeholders such as The Pension Service and voluntary agencies to maximise take up of all benefits.
	In addition, when pension credit was introduced in October 2003, we invested almost 0.5 billion a year in increasing the amounts on which housing benefit and council tax benefit are based. This meant that around 2 million pensioner households became either entitled to council tax benefit for the first time or qualified for more help.

Benefits

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment has been made in terms of each of the non-contributory benefits of the proportion of people who are entitled to access benefits who fail to do so; what measures are in place to encourage awareness of and access to those schemes and benefits, with particular reference to people who (a) are not able to read and (b) are not on the electoral roll.

James Plaskitt: The latest available information is in Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take Up in 2003/2004, a copy of which is in the Library.
	There are no specific awareness schemes aimed at people who are not on the electoral roll, but we do all we can to ensure that people are aware of the benefits to which they are entitled and how to claim them. For example, for the third year we are running publicity and marketing take-up campaigns with local authorities' support, aimed at getting people who are entitled to, but not getting, council tax benefit to claim it.
	The Pension Service has also written to every pensioner household to tell them about pension credit. It has done this through a number of campaign initiatives such as the You're Missing Out direct mailings targeted at 1.5 million people most likely to be entitled. Direct mailings are issued using the latest addresses held within departmental records and are not dependent on electoral rolls. If a customer does not respond to the direct mailing, this will be followed up with a telephone call and if the customer can not be contacted by phone or does not wish to use the phone to conduct their business, the Pension Service will undertake a home visit to discuss entitlement to pension credit and any other service or benefit to which the customer may be entitled.
	For customers who are unable to read, pension credit has been advertised on national and regional TV and radio. Pension credit leaflets are published in audio format. In addition, the Pension Service local service works closely with community partners to capture a much wider customer base and reach some of the most vulnerable pensioners in order that they receive their entitlement to pension credit and any other benefits and services.
	Income support and jobseeker's allowance information is available to customers through leaflets and posters in Jobcentre Plus offices, and through a number of community partners, such as citizens advice bureaux and GPs' surgeries. Information is also available on the Jobcentre Plus and Department for Work and Pensions websites. Leaflets are also published in audio format for customers unable to read.

Benefits

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions where (a) claimants and (b) recipients of (i) Child Benefit, (ii) Child Support, (iii) Severe disablement allowance, (iv) Industrial injuries benefit, (v) Income Support, (vi) Jobseeker's Allowance, (vii) Job Grant, (viii) Earnings top up (ix) Statutory sick pay, (x) Statutory Maternity Pay, (xi) Maternity allowance, (xii) Incapacity elements, (xiii) child elements in Income Support, (xiv) state pensions, (xv) non-contributory state pension, (xvi) Christmas Bonus, (xvii) pension credit, (xviii) TV licences for over 75s, (xix) widow's benefit, (xx) War Pensions, (xxi) Winter fuel payments, (xxii) bonuses and payments from the Social Fund, (xxiii) Crisis Loans, (xxiv) funeral payments, (xxv) Attendance Allowance, (xxvi) Disability Living Allowance, (xxvii) Disability Working Allowance, (xxviii) Carer's Allowance, (xxix) Invalid Care Allowance, (xxx) Vaccine Damage Payments, (xxxi) Motability specialised vehicles, (xxxii) council tax benefit, (xxxiii) Housing Benefit and discretionary housing payments, (xxxiv) Independent Living Funds, (xxxv) New Deal allowances and credits, (xxxvi) over 65s payment, (xxxvii) over 70s payment, (xxxviii) Guardian's allowance and (xxxix) Child's Special Allowance who live in County Durham may go to receive face-to-face advice from departmental staff about their entitlements and circumstances.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 9 February 2006
	Jobcentre Plus offices and The Pension Service Local Service Information Points in County Durham will provide personal advice on those benefits listed that are administered by DWP.Jobcentre Plus is in the process of transforming the way in which it delivers its services to customers. In County Durham Jobcentre Plus services are now delivered from a network of ten newly equipped Jobcentre Plus offices in Bishop Auckland, Chester le Street, Consett, Crook, Durham, Newton Aycliffe, Peterlee, Spennymoor, Stanley and Seaham. All these offices provide a face-to-face service and will offer appropriate advice about benefit entitlements.
	In addition to the personal service provided through Jobcentre Plus offices improvements to be introduced in 2006 will allow customers to access services through the telephone and through the Internet.
	The Pension Service provides assistance to those customers who are unable to conduct their business over the telephone and require face-to-face contact. Home visits are carried out through 'Local Service' which is the visiting arm of the Pension Service. Customers can also make appointments to visit one of the regular sessions held by Local Service, referred to as 'Information Points', in places that they are familiar with, such as Age concern and CAB outlets, local libraries and community centres, local hospitals and residential homes. In County Durham there are Information Points in Bishop Auckland and Chester-le-Street.
	The following benefits listed are not administered by DWP but signposting advice is available from Jobcentre Plus and The Pension Service:
	Child Benefit, Child Support, TV licences for over 75s, Motability Specialised vehicles, Independent Living Funds, Guardian's Allowance.
	Earnings Top Up is no longer available, and income related benefits whilst in employment are now covered by Tax Credits.

Benefits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2006, Official Report, column 246W, on housing benefit, whether his Department holds copies of the responses to the Housing Green Paper, Quality and Choice: A Decent Home for All, relating to the modernisation of housing benefit.

James Plaskitt: The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold copies of the responses. The then Departments of the Environment Transport and the Regions (DETR) and Social Security issued the Housing Green PaperQuality and Choice; A Decent Home for All in April 2000. DETR (now Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) officials collated responses to the Green Paper and published the results in December 2000.

Benefits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost is to date of the Pathfinders pilots of local housing allowance in each pathfinder area; and how much of this cost was met (a) by the benefit authority and (b) from central funds.

James Plaskitt: The total benefit expenditure (AME) on the local housing allowance and the total local housing allowance benefit subsidy from central Government in 200405 are presented by Pathfinder area in table 1. These costs do not represent the additional benefit costs due to the local housing allowance and a large proportion of these costs would have been incurred under the current housing benefit scheme had the local housing allowance not been introduced in these Pathfinder areas.
	
		Table 1: Total benefit expenditure on the local housing allowance in Pathfinder areas, 200405 -- 
		
			  Total LHA expenditure Total LHA subsidy from central Government Expenditure met by local authority 
		
		
			 Blackpool 26,698,000 26,453,000 245,000 
			 Brighton 53,759,000 52,674,000 1,085,000 
			 Conwy 5,632,000 5,532,000 100,000 
			 Coventry 13,590,000 13,333,000 257,000 
			 Edinburgh 34,820,000 34,102,000 718,000 
			 Leeds 19,363,000 19,086,000 278,000 
			 Lewisham 24,455,000 24,234,000 221,000 
			 North East Lincs 15,015,000 14,797,000 218,000 
			 Teignbridge 6,133,000 6,055,000 78,000 
			 Total 199,465,000 196,266,000 3,199,000 
		
	
	Note:
	Expenditure figures are rounded to the nearest 000.
	Source:
	LHA1 forms
	Information on the total administration costs (DEL) of each of the Pathfinder areas is not available. Information on the administration costs funded by central Government for the local housing allowance alone is also not available at local authority level. Pathfinder local authorities receive funding based on what it is reasonably expected to cost them in administering the local housing allowance. All Pathfinders are receiving additional funding to implement the local housing allowance, run the Pathfinder project, contribute to the evaluation activity and procure the necessary software. Table 2 provides the breakdown of this additional funding for each year since the introduction of the local housing allowance.
	
		Table 2: Additional administrative expenditure on the local housing allowance in Pathfinder areas -- 
		
			  200304 200405 200506 
		
		
			 Blackpool 415,000 305,000 272,000 
			 Brighton 392,000 355,000 256,000 
			 Conwy 197,000 194,000 116,000 
			 Coventry 199,000 217,000 119,000 
			 Edinburgh 245,000 191,000 168,000 
			 Leeds 207,000 235,000 221,000 
			 Lewisham 317,000 229,000 184,000 
			 North East Lincs 253,000 231,000 225,000 
			 Teignbridge 189,000 94,000 111,000 
			 Total 2,416,000 2,051,000 1,671,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Expenditure figures are rounded to the nearest 000.
	2. Of the total figures in this table, IT expenditure accounts for 1,281,000 in 200304, 64,000 in 200405 and 26,000 in 200506.

Child Support Agency

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what payment has been made to the contractor who supplied the Child Support Agency's updated IT system; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Hilary Reynolds
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. The Chief Executive is currently unavailable as he is communicating the Operational Improvement Plan to all Agency staff, I am therefore responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what payment has been made to the contractor who supplied the Child Support Agency's updated IT system; and if he will make a statement.
	The Child Support Agency's new IT system (CS2) was provided by Electronic Data Systems (EDS) under the Child Support Reform (CSR) contract for IT services. The Agency's administrative accounts confirm charging of 133 million for the delivery and operation of CS2 between January 2003 and August 2005 under the CSR contract.
	In August 2005, the Department agreed a general realignment of its IT contracts with EDS. As part of this realignment from August 2005 the Agency no longer receives invoices from EDS, instead the Department is charged centrally. The Department's businesses are currently agreeing the accounting methodology and principles for recharging EDS costs. Information on charging for CS2 since August 2005 will be available after the financial year end when the Agency's accounts are compiled and audited.
	I hope you find this response helpful.

Child Support Agency

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many current Child Support Agency cases are regarded as linked cases; and what his definition is of a linked case.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Hilary Reynolds
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As the Chief Executive is currently on leave, I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many current CSA cases are regarded as linked cases; and what is his definition of a linked case.
	The Agency regards a case as linked when it is associated in some way with another case.
	Linked cases can be:
	Old scheme cases linked to other old scheme cases on the old computer system (CSCS),
	New scheme cases linked only to other new scheme cases; and
	Old scheme cases linked to new scheme cases.
	Links to new child support applications can be further divided into 'relevant' or 'non-relevant':
	Relevant links are ones where the new application will have a financial impact on the linked case. This will occur when either the non-resident parent or the parent with care in a new scheme application is also the non-resident parent or parent with care in another case.
	Non-relevant links are ones which will not affect the calculation, such as an address already held on file as one previously occupied by an existing or former client.
	When a new child support application is made, one or more links may be established to existing cases. If a link is established to one or more cases on the old system (CSCS), then these will be transferred to the new computer system (CS2), along with any further cases that are linked to this chain. This is known as reactive migration. Where the links are relevant (as defined above), the old scheme cases in question will also be converted to the new scheme. This is called reactive conversion.
	It is not currently possible to say how many old scheme cases have links to other old scheme cases, and neither is it possible to say how many new scheme cases have links to other new scheme cases. Information is, however, available for old scheme cases with links to new scheme cases.
	As at the end of December 2005:
	There were 305,000 old scheme cases on the new computer system (CS2). These are cases that have been reactively migrated due to being linked to new scheme cases.
	Of those old scheme cases that had been reactively migrated from the old system to the new system, we estimate that around 35,000 cases had relevant links to new scheme cases and have now been converted. We estimate that a further 50,000 cases also have relevant links and are currently awaiting conversion.
	I hope you find this helpful

Child Support Agency

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) national and (b) local targets have been set for call centre performance on (i) the legacy Child Support Computer System and (ii) the new CS2 system in the Child Support Agency; and what the performance against such targets has been for each measurement period within the last three years for which data is available.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Hilary Reynolds
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As the Chief Executive is currently on leave, I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) national and (b) local targets have been set for call centre performance on (i) the legacy Child Support Computer System and (ii) the new CS2 system in the Child Support Agency; and what the performance against such targets has been for each measurement period within the last three years for which data is available.
	The Agency currently has two telephony targets. These apply to new system (CS2) calls only:
	No less than 85 per cent. of CS2 calls available to staff should be answered.
	New system calls should be answered within an average of 2 minutes.
	In addition, there are a further two targets that are internal to the National Helpline (the Agency's telephony service). These are:
	No less than 85 per cent. of old system (CSCS) calls available to staff should be answered.
	Old system calls should be answered within an average of 50 seconds.
	The Agency has seven call centres, based in Dudley, Hastings, Falkirk, Plymouth, Birkenhead, Belfast and Liverpool. Telephony targets apply at local and national level, and performance against these is shown in the attached tables.
	I hope you find this helpful.
	
		Table 1: Target: No less than 85 per cent. of CS2 calls available to staff should be answered 
		
			  Dudley Hastings Falkirk Plymouth Birkenhead Belfast Liverpool Agency 
		
		
			 CS2 calls answered as a percentage of calls available to staff 
			 200304 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 78 
			 200405 85 85 84 84 82 79 75 83 
			 April-December 2005 87 90 92 91 90 90 78 90 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Performance against this target is derived by measuring the percentage of calls that are answered, of those available to staff. For CS2, these are calls that connected to the queue for an agent, after navigating the automated/touch tone part of the process.
	2. Performance for 200304 is only available for the Agency as a whole and cannot be separated down into separate call centres.
	3. Robust data for CS2 is available only from July 2003. Therefore the figure for Agency performance in 200304 is based on data for July-March only.
	4. Percentages are rounded to the nearest 1 per cent.
	
		Table 2: TargetNo less than 85 per cent. of CSCS calls available to staff should be answered 
		
			  Dudley Hastings Falkirk Plymouth Birkenhead Belfast Liverpool Agency 
		
		
			 CSCS calls answered as a percentage of calls available to staff 
			 200304 72 68 84 72 71 50 80 71 
			 200405 82 82 88 82 80 79 90 85 
			 April-December 2005 83 86 93 91 90 90 94 91 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Performance against this target is derived by measuring the percentage of calls that are answered, of those available to staff.
	2. Percentages are rounded to the nearest 1 per cent.
	
		Table 3: Target: Calls regarding CS2 cases should be answered within two minutes
		
			  Dudley Hastings Falkirk Plymouth Birkenhead Belfast Liverpool Agency 
		
		
			 Time taken to answer CS2 calls, in minutes 
			 200304 02:17 02:15 01:43 02:49 02:31 02:41 n/a 2.22 
			 200405 01:58 02:21 02:24 02:35 02:33 03:09 01:15 2.29 
			 April-December 2005 01:45 01:22 01:18 01:24 01:30 01:35 02:00 1.29 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Performance against this target is measured by considering the time taken for calls to be answered from the moment at which they are available to staff to be answered. For CS2 calls, this excludes the time taken by customers to navigate the automated/touch tone part of the process.
	2. The time taken to answer CS2 calls in Liverpool is not available for 200304.
	3. Figures are presented as minutes and seconds, and are rounded to the nearest second.
	
		Table 4: Target: Calls regarding CSCS cases should be answered within 50 seconds 
		
			  Dudley Hastings Falkirk Plymouth Birkenhead Belfast Liverpool Agency 
		
		
			 Time taken to answer CSCS calls, in minutes 
			 200304 01:18 02:25 00:55 01:49 02:28 05:22 01:27 2.12 
			 200405 00:31 01:08 00:36 01:13 01:18 01:05 01:12 0.56 
			 April-December 2005 00:28 00:41 00:23 00:31 00:36 00:34 00:36 0.32 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Performance against this target is measured by considering the time taken for calls to be answered from the moment at which they are available to staff to be answered. There is no automated/touch tone system for CSCS calls.
	2. Figures are presented as minutes and seconds, and are rounded to the nearest second.

Child Support Agency

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2006, Official Report, column 611W, on the Child Support Agency, what targets are in place for the processing of the backlog of applications.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of the 10th January 2006 Official Report column 611W on the Child Support Agency what targets are in place for the processing of the backlog of applications.
	The Child Support Agency is making every effort to reduce the backlog of applications.
	Between January and December 2005, the number of outstanding un-cleared potential applications across both the old and the new schemes fell by 10 per cent, from over 362,000 to 327,000 (figures rounded to the nearest thousand).
	Volumes of uncleared new scheme applications have stabilised and are no longer growing. Indeed, they fell by 2 per cent. between April and December 2005, standing at 259,000 at the end of the period.
	In the Operational Improvement Plan announced by the Secretary of State on 9th February 2006, the Agency set itself the target of reducing the backlog of applications to the point where, by March 2009, 80% of applications will be cleared within 12 weeks and there will be no backlog in this area.
	I hope you find this helpful.

Jobcentre Plus

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  when he expects the planned roll out of Jobcentre Plus benefit delivery centres to be completed;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the transitional arrangements for benefit claim processing that are in place prior to the roll out of Jobcentre Plus Benefit Delivery Centres.

Margaret Hodge: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Lesley Strathie
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking when he expects the planned roll out of Jobcentre Plus Benefit Delivery Centres to be completed and if he will make a statement on the transitional arrangements for benefit claim processing that are in place prior to the roll out of Jobcentre Plus Benefit Delivery Centres. These are issues which fall within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	We expect to compete the roll out of the Benefit Delivery Centres by March 2008.
	The move to Benefit Delivery Centres involves detailed implementation plans for each site. These include ensuring the minimum disruption to performance and customer service.
	For customers, the main impact will be the introduction of a new 0845/0800 telephone contact number and a new postal address. Customers will receive mailings about this, and there will be publicity campaigns in Jobcentre Plus outlets, other Government Departments and outlets which customers may use to obtain contact details  for example GP's surgeries, Local Government Offices, Citizen Advice Bureaux.
	I hope this is helpful.

Jobcentre Plus

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which Jobcentre Plus offices carry out benefit claim processing; and how many staff are employed for the purpose of processing benefit claims in each such office.

Margaret Hodge: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Lesley Strathie
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking which Jobcentre Plus offices carry out benefit claim processing and how many staff are employed for the purpose of processing benefit claims in each such office. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	At September 2004 benefit processing took place in approximately 650 sites. Since that date, as part of the rationalisation of the Jobcentre Plus business and estate, the number of sites processing claims has reduced to approximately 450.
	We have now shared the planned implementation of the Benefit Delivery Centres with the first Centre due to go-live in April this year. By March 2008 processing will be carried out in 77 sites as previously announced.
	The information requested on staffing is not available. Jobcentre Plus keeps staffing records by grade and location, but not by job role in each location.

Lone Parents

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of lone parents moved from income support to (a) incapacity benefit, (b) jobseeker's allowance, (c) other out-of-work benefits and (d) employment when their youngest child reached 16-years-old in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: Between August 2003 and August 2004, the number of lone parents that left income support within three months of their youngest child turning 16 was 15,400. 16 per cent. of these did not move to an out-of-work benefit. We do not currently have robust data that would allow us to estimate how many of those who have not returned to benefit have entered employment.
	The proportion of those moving to out-of-work benefits is in the table.
	
		Proportion of lone parents leaving income support within three months of their youngest child reaching 16
		
			 Benefit(40) Percentage 
		
		
			 Jobseekers Allowance 61 
			 Incapacity Benefit 13 
			 Income Support 5 
			 Income Support (with a Disability Premium) 5 
			 No benefit claim 16 
			 Total 100 
		
	
	(40) The benefit has been taken to be the first benefit spell a customer has had after their child reaches 16.
	Notes:
	1. A customer may have an overlapping claim for income support and incapacity benefit. For this reason the proportion moving to an out-of-work benefit due to health condition or disability is 18 per cent.
	2. A time period of three months around the date where the claimant's youngest child turns 16 has been used to assume that any claimant leaving income support in this period is doing so because their youngest child has turned 16.
	3. The figures presented show all those who left income support between August 2003 and August 2004 and tracked for one year.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions the Government has had with (a) coalition partners in Afghanistan and (b) the Afghan Government concerning alternative methods of poppy eradication in Afghanistan;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the feasibility of the use of (a) chemical eradication and (b) incineration in the destruction of poppy crops in Afghanistan.

Kim Howells: The UK believes that the Government of Afghanistan's recently updated National Drug Control Strategy represents the best means of securing a sustainable reduction on the production and trafficking of opiates in Afghanistan. The strategy highlights four key priorities. These are: disrupting the drugs trade by targeting traffickers and their backers; strengthening and diversifying legal rural livelihoods; reducing the demand for illicit drugs and treatment of problem drug users; and developing effective state institutions to combat drugs at the central and provincial level. The strategy also states that there is a role for targeted ground-based eradication where alternative livelihoods exist, in order to incentivise the shift away from poppy cultivation. As key partner nation for counter narcotics, the UK is committed to helping Afghanistan deliver its National Drug Control Strategy and to co-ordinating international assistance in support of the strategy.
	The UK is supporting the Government of Afghanistan to deliver viable commercial crops as feasible economic alternatives to poppy. Farmers also need access to credit, land and markets, alternative employment opportunities, infrastructure, such as irrigation and roads to help grow and transport produce, and Government emergency mechanisms to ensure food security. Targeted ground based eradication is necessary to inject risk into the system and encourage farmers to give up growing poppy.
	Neither chemical eradication nor incineration of poppy crops are viable options in Afghanistan. Spraying chemicals or burning fields will not give accurate enough targeting to ensure that only those cultivators who have access to alternative livelihoods have their crops destroyed. There would also be concerns about the risks that both chemicals and incineration pose to the environment and human health.

Al-Qaeda

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of reports that al-Qaeda is seeking to re-establish a presence in (a) Somalia, (b) Ethiopia and (c) Sudan; and what steps are being taken by his Department to counter such re-establishment.

Kim Howells: Al-Qaeda and related groups continue to pose a significant global threat, including to British interests in Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia. We continuously assess the threat from al-Qaeda and al-Qaeda related terrorist cells, but do not publish these assessments.
	We work with other governments in tackling international terrorism including Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia. International efforts have inter alia led to the disruption of terrorist operations, and the planning, financing and support for such operations in the region.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of recent reports that the military junta in Burma has been sending troops into battle under the influence amphetamines.

Ian Pearson: We are aware of press reports that the military regime in Burma has been sending troops into battle under the influence of amphetamines, but have no information to substantiate these reports.

Correspondence

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter dated 6 April 2005 from Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow region, regarding Ali Javaid Pal and Shamshad Perveen.

Kim Howells: UKvisas replied on 22 June 2005, but addressed this to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Central (Mr. Sarwar) in error and sent it to the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. UKvisas apologises for this error. UKvisas will now confirm the current validity of the information in this letter and send it to Nicola Sturgeon, the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow, within seven days.

European Employment Practices

Christopher Chope: To ask the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Spanish government to allow Spanish nationals in the UK to undertake conveyancing in Spain.

Bridget Prentice: I am replying as this question falls within my Department's responsibility.
	Conveyancing in Spain can only be practised by notaries who are also Spanish. The UK Government and the European Commission are aware of this situation and the European Commission is investigating whether this is in breach of competition rules.

Holy See

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the operation of the Lateran Treaty;
	(2)  what consultations he undertook before closing the offices of the British embassy to the Holy See; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what recent representations he has received about the closure of the offices of the British embassy in the Holy See; if he will place in the Library copies of such representations; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what discussions he has had with the Vatican about the closure of the offices of the British embassy in the Holy See; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  if he will make a statement on the future of the British embassy in the Holy See;
	(6)  how many staff were employed by the British embassy in the Holy See in each year since 1997; at what grade each was employed; and how many were locally engaged staff;
	(7)  what estimate he has made of the savings to his Department of the closure of the offices of the United Kingdom embassy to the Holy See; and if he will make a statement;
	(8)  what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues about the closure of the offices of the British embassy in the Holy See; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Lateran Treaty comprises three agreements dating from 11 February 1929. They provided for the mutual recognition of the Kingdom (later the Republic) of Italy and the Holy See. The UK is not a party to those agreements and as such their operation is a matter for the Holy See and the Republic of Italy.
	As my right. hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said in his Written Statement on 15 December 2004, Official Report, column 138WS, there is no question of closing our embassy to the Holy See. It remains an important part of our overseas network.
	The embassy was, however, relocated in July 2005 from its rented offices in Via Condotti, to the compound where our embassy to the Republic of Italy is located. That decision was taken as a result of security concerns and in order to improve efficiency. The move took place with the prior consent of the Holy See. Our embassy to the Holy See remains separate from our embassy to Republic of Italy, with a separate building, flag and plaque. We estimate annual savings on rent to be 59,000.
	On the question of staffing, the new ambassador was appointed through open competition last year. The appointment was warmly welcomed by Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, the Archbishop of Westminster.
	Following an internal review of the embassy in 2005, a reduction was made of the equivalent of one part-time member of staff. Before the review and from 2001 the ambassador was supported by a part-time Deputy Head of Mission, a full-time locally engaged assistant and two part-time locally engaged support staff. (Between 1997 and 2000 the Deputy Head of Mission worked full-time). The ambassador is now supported by a full-time locally engaged political officer and a full-time locally engaged assistant/support officer.

International Criminal Court

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken by his Department to ensure that the International Criminal Court is able to fulfil its mandate.

Kim Howells: The UK is a firm supporter, in principle and in practice, of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and is committed to respecting the court's independence. From time to time, the ICC requests assistance from states parties, either in relation to an ongoing investigation or in relation to the wider functioning of the court. To protect the integrity of the court's investigations, it would not be appropriate to comment on their operational aspects nor to reveal what support the UK has provided in response to ICC requests. The UK remains ready to consider any specific request put forward by the court.
	More broadly, the UK supports the functioning of the court in a number of key areas. A generic witness relocation agreement was concluded with the court in November 2004, and an exchange of letters on information-sharing was signed in August 2005. Negotiations on an agreement, at the court's request, on the enforcement of sentences are well advanced.
	The Government will continue to support the ICC as it takes forward its investigations, and to maintain political pressure on all parties to provide full co-operation to the ICC.
	Besides our contribution to the general budget of the ICC (5.8 million), the UK contributed 110,000 in 2005 to activities relating to the ICC. We continue to lobby Governments around the world to accede to the Rome Statute and widen the jurisdiction of the court.

Iran

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether Iran has any undeclared centrifuge production capacity; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: We have no evidence that Iran has any undeclared uranium centrifuge enrichment capability. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency's report of 27 February notes that
	the Agency is not at this point in time in a position to conclude that there are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran,
	and that
	In the case of Iran, this conclusion can be expected to take even longer in light of the undeclared nature of Iran's past nuclear programme, and in particular because of the inadequacy of information available on its centrifuge enrichment programme.

Iran

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of whether Iran has recommenced (a) manufacture and assembly of gas centrifuge components and (b) installation of gas centrifuges at its Natanz facility; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: The Iranian Government has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that it intends to recommence manufacture, assembly and installation of gas centrifuges or related components at Natanz. We cannot confirm whether they have yet done so. We believe that this would be an unhelpful development, which would do little to restore international confidence that Iran's nuclear programme is for purely peaceful purposes.

Iran

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of how close to completion the Iranian pilot-scale centrifuge plant at Natanz is; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Iran has continued construction of the buildings for both the pilot fuel enrichment plant (PFEP) and the fuel enrichment plant (FEP) at Natanz. Since the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) seals were removed on 11 January, Iran has resumed work on the gas handling system at the PFEP and has begun installing and testing P-l centrifuges in cascades of up to 20 machines. Iran has informed the IAEA that it intends to commence installation of the first 3000 P-l machines at the FEP in the fourth quarter of 2006.
	We believe that continued enrichment activity, on any scale, would allow Iran to take significant steps towards mastering the technology. Given Iran's past history of concealment and deception and its failure to take the steps necessary to begin rebuilding international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear programme, persisting with this activity will increase international concern and make reaching a long term agreement more difficult. In its resolution adopted on 4 February 2005, the IAEA Board of Governors reiterated its call for Iran to re-establish full and sustained suspension of all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development.

Iran

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the current installed capacity of the Natanz pilot plant; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: A number of single centrifuges, as well as two test cascades, of 10 and 20 enrichment centrifuges respectively, are currently installed at the Natanz pilot plant.

Iran

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of Iran's development of gas-centrifuge uranium enrichment technology; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Iran's gas-centrifuge technology, in particular the designs for P1 and P2 centrifuges, was acquired with assistance from an international proliferation supply network. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have reported that Iran has conducted small scale enrichment activities at the Kalaye Electric facility in Tehran, and subsequently constructed a test cascade at Natanz which operated briefly in 2003. On 3 January 2006, Iran announced its intention to resume industrial scale enrichment.
	The IAEA Director General has recently reported to the IAEA Board of Governors that Iran had worked on an indigenous modified P2 design. His report also noted that
	although some progress has been made since November 2004 in the verification of statements by Iran regarding the chronology of its centrifuge enrichment programme, the Agency has not yet been able to verify the correctness and completeness of Iran's statements concerning those programmes.
	Iran has no civil requirement for the uranium conversion facility at Esfahan or for the enrichment facility at Natanz. Most countries have concluded that it does not make economic sense to develop costly conversion and enrichment facilities to support a small number of power reactors. In any case, the Russians have contracted to supply fuel for 10 years to Iran's only reactor under construction at Bushehr; and have offered to continue supply for the lifetime of the reactor if the Iranians so choose.

Iran

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government supports sanctions against Iran in relation to its nuclear programme; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We supported the decision of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Board of Governors in February to report the question of Iran's nuclear programme to the United Nations Security Council. We are now consulting Security Council partners about next steps. We expect the Security Council to respond to the actions taken by Iran. Speculation about possible United Nations sanctions is premature. But Iran should be under no doubt that, if it continues to defy the international community, the Security Council will respond. Iran needs to take the steps deemed necessary by the IAEA Board in its 4 February resolution, including reinstating a full and verifiable suspension of all enrichment-related and reprocessing activity.

Iran

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran's nuclear enrichment policy; what the UK position on this was at the IAEA meeting in Vienna; and what steps the Government plans to take in relation to Iran's nuclear programme.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials are in regular contact with the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and his staff.
	At the IAEA Board of Governors meeting on 8 March, the British ambassador to the IAEA made a statement on behalf of the UK, France and Germany. This noted our serious concern at Iran's failure to take the steps deemed necessary by the Board, and stated that the time had come for the United Nations Security Council to reinforce the authority of the IAEA and the Board's resolutions. The full text of the statement is available on the FCO website:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename= OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPagec=Pagecid= 1007029391629a=Karticleaid-1140688366394
	The IAEA Board agreed at its meeting on 4 February that the Security Council should become involved. We are discussing next steps with Security Council members and other international partners.

Iran

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has (a) issued guidance to and (b) received requests for advice from sporting and cultural bodies on maintaining links with Iran.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not issue guidance of this kind, but we encourage people to people contacts with Iran and do what we can to facilitate this. Individuals or groups requesting travel advice are directed to the relevant section of the FCO website, which is updated regularly. Sporting and cultural groups seeking advice on other issues are normally directed to the country pages for Iran on the FCO website or to the British Council, or are briefed by officials depending on the nature of the enquiry.

Mauritania

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to help the Mauritanian authorities to reduce the number of people attempting to enter the European Union illegally from Mauritanian (a) territory and (b) waters.

Kim Howells: The Government's assistance to Mauritania on migration has been channeled through the EU. We are currently engaged in dialogue with EU partners, and both source and transit countries, which will include Mauritania, on how best to meet this challenge. Mauritania will be invited to the Euro-African regional conference on Migration in Rabat in July. I have set out in more detail the action the UK is taking in my answer to the hon. Member on 16 February 2006, Official Report, columns 228788W.

Mauritania

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will establish an embassy in Nouakchott.

Kim Howells: At present, the Government have no plans to open an embassy in Nouakchott.

Sexual Violence

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken by his Department to support the work of the International Criminal Court in investigating and prosecuting sexual violence against women.

Kim Howells: The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) makes full provision for the prosecution of sexual violence against women. Crimes under the jurisdiction of the ICC include, among others, rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilisation, and other forms of sexual violence of comparable gravity.
	The prosecutor of the ICC has launched investigations into the situations in Northern Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Darfur, in Sudan. The precise details of the investigations are a matter for the prosecutor and the UK is committed to respecting the court's independence. However, the warrants issued in October 2005 against members of the Lord's Resistance Army, under the investigation into the situation in Northern Uganda, included counts relating to sexual violence.
	The United Kingdom is a strong supporter, in principle and in practice, of the ICC. We will continue to support the ICC as it takes forward its investigations, and to maintain political pressure on all parties to provide full co-operation to the ICC. Besides our contribution to the general budget of the ICC (5.8 million), the UK contributed 110,000 in 2005 to activities relating to the ICC.

UK Nationals (Overseas Prisons)

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) male and (b) female United Kingdom nationals are serving prison sentences in foreign jurisdictions.

Kim Howells: The total number of British nationals in detention overseas on 31 March 2005 was 2,764 of which 2,459 are males and 305 are females. This number includes all categories of detainees (with the exception of immigration detainees) including those who have been sentenced. It would incur disproportionate costs to establish a figure for just those who have been sentenced. 1,266 (46 per cent.) of those held in detention are there on drug related charges of which 1,068 are males and 198 are females.

UK Overseas Missions

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK overseas missions have amalgamated over the last nine years.

Jack Straw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has closed six British embassies and four British high commissions since 1997. The British embassy at Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire has remained temporarily closed since 1 April 2005. This is due to the uncertain security situation there. The following table gives details of the missions closed permanently and the missions now accredited there.
	
		
			  Cross accreditation to embassy/high commission 
		
		
			 British embassy closed  
			 200304  
			 Bamako, Mali Dakar, Senegal 
			 San Salvador, El Salvador Guatemala City, Guatemala 
			 Tegucigalpa, Honduras  
			 Managua, Nicaragua San Jose, Costa Rica 
			   
			 200506  
			 Antananarivo, Madagascar Port Louis(41), Mauritius 
			 Asuncion, Paraguay Buenos Aires, Argentina 
			   
			 High commissions closed  
			 200506  
			 Maseru, Lesotho Pretoria(41), South Africa 
			 Mbabane, Swaziland  
			 Nassau, Bahamas Kingston(41), Jamaica 
			 Port Vila, Vanuatu Suva(41), Fiji 
			   
			 Missions due for closure: Cross accreditation to: 
			 British high commission at Nuku' alofa,  Tonga(42) Suva(41), Fiji 
			 British embassy at Dili, East Timor(43) Jakarta, Indonesia 
		
	
	(41) High commissions.
	(42) Closed to the public from 20 March 2006.
	(43) Closed to the public from 14 July 2006.
	During the same period, the FCO opened six British embassies and one British high commission. This is all part of the FCO's process of realigning resources with its strategic priorities.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcohol (Under-age Consumption)

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were prosecuted in courts in Newcastle for (a) selling alcohol to persons under 18 years for consumption on the premises and (b) selling alcohol from wholesalers to a person under 18 years in each year since 2001.

Paul Goggins: The information from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform is contained in the table and gives the number of defendants prosecuted in Newcastle-upon-Tyne magistrates court for the sale of alcohol to minors, from 2001 to 2004.
	The offence of selling alcohol to persons aged under 18 years of age was introduced to the penalty notice for disorder (PND) scheme from 1 November 2004 aimed at staff working in licensed premises found to commit this offence. It is not possible to identify PNDs issued in Newcastle because centrally available data is not broken down to this level of detail.
	The Licensing Act 2003 came into force on 24 November 2005. Data for 2005 will be available in autumn 2006.
	
		Number of defendants prosecuted at magistrates courts for offences relating to sale of alcohol to minors in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 2001 to 2004(44)
		
			 Offence description Offence Act Year Prosecuted 
		
		
			 Agent knowingly selling to, knowingly allow consumption by or allowing any person to sell, intoxicating liquor to a person under 18. Selling etc. intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premises Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Schedule (Sec 3) para 4(1) Licensing Act 1964 Sec 169(1) 2001 2002 2003 2004 0 3 21 23 
			 
			 Wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to a person under 18 Licensing Act 1964 Sec 181 A(1) as added by Licensing Act 1988 Sec 17 2001 2002 2003 2004 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	(44) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	Source:
	RDSOffice for Criminal Justice Reform.

Child Pornography

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted of accessing child pornography on the internet in the West Midlands in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 15 March 2006
	The court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform shows that two people were convicted of the possession of an indecent photograph of a child in the West Midlands in 2004.
	Data for 2005 will be available in the autumn of 2006.

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter of 26 January, reference M2213/6, from the hon. Member for Walsall, North regarding a constituent.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 13 March 2006
	I replied to my hon. Friend on 10 March 2006.

Drug Treatment Programmes

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of drug treatment orders in England and Wales were successfully completed in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: Completion rates for drug treatment and testing orders, and since April 2005 the drug rehabilitation requirement of the community order, have only been measured by the national probation directorate since 200405. Completion rates are continuing to rise from 28 per cent. in 2003, as reported in the Public Accounts Committee DTTO report, to 36 per cent. in 200405 (exceeding the inaugural 35 per cent. completion target) and 39 per cent. so far this year. We know from research that offenders who complete the order have significantly lower reconviction rates (53 per cent.) than those that don't (91 per cent.).

Home Detention Curfews

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are used to monitor offenders on home detention curfew schemes operated by Group 4 Securicor.

Fiona Mactaggart: Offenders on Home Detention Curfew are continuously monitored during their curfew period, which must be for a minimum of nine hours a day. Staff from Group four Securicor will visit the offender at the curfew address on the day of release from prison to install the monitoring equipment. This uses radio frequency transmissions to determine whether the offender is present at the curfew address during the curfew period. Absences during curfew, or damage to the equipment, register automatically at the monitoring centre operated by Group four Securicor, who will respond with a telephone call and a visit if necessary. Once the threshold for breaching the offender is reached, Group four Securicor will report the breach to the Home Office release and recall section for further action.

Home Detention Curfews

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who decides which offenders are placed on the home detention scheme operated by private security companies.

Fiona Mactaggart: Governors, and controllers of contracted prisons, are responsible for the decision whether to grant the early release of prisoners under the Home Detention Curfew scheme subject to their meeting the eligibility criteria set out in statute and in Home Office guidance.

Home Detention Curfews

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what processes are in place to inform prison governors of reasons why home detention curfews are breached; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: When an offender is recalled to prison for breaching the conditions of HDC licence, the release and recall section in the Home Office issues a revocation order which is sent to the area command unit of the police force and also to the prison that released the offender. This is accompanied by an information sheet that gives reasons for the recall.

Home Detention Curfews

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to improve the Prison Service's management of home detention curfew preparations; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans he has to review the processes involved in the management of the home detention curfew schemes; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: The home detention curfew scheme is kept under continuous review to ensure that it is operated as efficiently as possible by staff in prisons (both public and private) and in the National Offender Management Service headquarters. Public protection is paramount and any changes to the scheme are only made after full consideration of the implications for public safety.

Police

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were employed by the Thames Valley police authority in each of the last 10 years; and how many of these were deployed to work in Oxford City.

Hazel Blears: The available information is provided in the table. Data is collected by Basic Command Unit (BCU) and the Oxford BCU is fully coterminous with Oxford City boundaries. BCU data is only available from 2003.
	
		Police officer strength (full-time equivalent) (19952005)
		
			 As at 31 March each year Oxford(45) Thames Valley(46) 
		
		
			 1995  3,854 
			 1996  3,674 
			 1997  3,695 
			 1998  3,776 
			 1999  3,748 
			 2000  3,740 
			 2001  3,703 
			 2002  3,762 
			 2003 317 3,833 
			 2004 336 4,034 
			 2005 328 4,114 
		
	
	(45) FTE includes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. Data only available from 2003
	(46) FTE excludes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave

Police

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in (a) West Lancashire constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) England and Wales in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: The available information is provided in the table. Information for West Lancashire is only available from 2003.
	
		Police officer strength by year (19972005) -- Full-time equivalent
		
			 As at 31 March each year Lancashire Western(47) Lancashire(48) England and Wales(49) 
		
		
			 1997  3,247 127,158 
			 1998  3,257 126,814 
			 1999  3,245 126,096 
			 2000  3,179 124,170 
			 2001  3,255 125,682 
			 2002  3,304 129,603 
			 2003 494 3,339 133,366 
			 2004 523 3,550 139,200 
			 2005 553 3,551 141,230 
		
	
	(47) FTE includes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. Data only available from 2003.
	(48) FTE excludes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave
	(49) Figures include those on Secondment to NCIS, NCS and Central Services. FTE excludes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.

Police

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training is given to police officers in England and Wales on (a) Special Measures contained in the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999, (b) identification of vulnerable victims of crime and (c) interview and communication methods for vulnerable victims to enable them to comply with the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime which comes into force in April.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 2 March 2006
	Training of police officers is the responsibility of individual Chief Officers of Police. All police officers were made aware of the introduction in 2002 of special measures in the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999. To support the police, the Home Office issued training materials (Recognising Capability), guidance on identification (Vulnerable Witnesses: a Police Service Guide) and guidance on video-recording interviews with vulnerable or intimidated witnesses (Achieving Best Evidence).
	A requirement for the police to undertake a witness' needs assessment has been introduced by the 'No Witness No Justice' project, which includes consideration of vulnerability and intimidation (this requirement is also now in the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime). Training materials were issued to all forces by Centrex at the end of 2004.
	In February, in support of the Victim's Code, the Home Office issued to all forces in England and Wales an e-learning package for frontline police officers, which includes a training module on special measures.

Prison Visitors

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department has given to prisons in England and Wales regarding the fingerprinting of visitors.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 14 March 2006
	The authority for prisons to request and take personal biometric measurements is contained within Prison Rule 71 amended in 2005. It states:
	any person or vehicle entering or leaving a prison may be stopped, examined and searched and in addition any such person may be photographed, fingerprinted or required to submit to other physical measurement.
	Any measurement taken electronically has to be held, stored, and then deleted in accordance with Prison Service Orders 9010 Information Technology Security and 9020 Data Protection Act which are available at all prison establishments.
	36 prisons in England and Wales have introduced electronic biometric entry systems for visitors. The prisons are: Albany, Altcourse, Ashfield, Belmarsh, Bedford, Blakenhurst, Bronzefield, Camphill, Coldingley, Doncaster, Dovegate, Forest Bank, Frankland, Full Sutton, Garth, Glen Parva, Holme House, Leeds, Leicester, Lewes, Lincoln, Lindholme, Liverpool, Long Lartin, Lowdham Grange, Manchester, Moorland, Nottingham, Parkhurst, Peterborough, Risley, Wakefield, Wellingborough, Whitemoor, Woodhill, and Wormwood Scrubs.
	The majority of these systems require the visitor to give both a photographic facial image and an electronic fingerprint biometric which are used confirm the visitors identification every time the visitor enters or leaves the prison.

Prisoners

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have a severe and enduring illness; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: The NHS Plan (Department of Health, 2000) estimated that, at any one time, 5,000 of the prison population will have a severe mental illness, although not all of the 5,000 will be acutely ill at the same time.
	Source:
	This figure was derived from the survey Psychiatric morbidity among prisoners in England and Wales, Office for National Statistics (ONS), 1998.

Prisons

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many laptop computers the Prison Service has purchased for use by prisoners in each of the last eight years.

Fiona Mactaggart: 73 laptop computers were purchased in 200506 for prisoner legal work under Prison Service Instruction 20/2005, Access to Justice. Data on the number of laptops purchased before 200506 could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Security Industry Authority

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether those who have been accepted for a licence by the Security Industry Authority (SIA), but who have yet to receive their licence from the SIA, will be able to work as security guards after 20 March; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 2 March 2006
	The issue of compliance with the requirements of the Private Security Industry Act is a matter for the Security Industry Authority (SIA) who retain operational responsibility. They continue to work with their partners and law enforcement agencies such as the police, and local authorities on matters of compliance. Any individual undertaking licensable activity without a licence from 20 March will be committing a criminal offence and be liable to prosecution.
	On 7 March, the SIA made an announcement regarding its enforcement policy. The SIA have stated that they will take a proportionate and reasoned approach to enforcement. Information about the SIA's enforcement policy can be found at www.the-sia.org.uk

Skills for Justice

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the work of Skills for Justice; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) are licensed by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, in consultation with Ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and are subject to twice-yearly comprehensive performance reviews to assess their ongoing capacity and capability to deliver their objectives.
	The work of Skills for Justice is overseen by the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) which, in conjunction with the relevant department for each sector, funds, supports and monitors the performance of all SSCs in order to ensure quality and consistent standards across the network. Furthermore, the agency seeks to promote best practice through the sharing of findings between different sectors.
	The Home Office has made no formal assessment of the work of Skills for Justice.

Young Offenders

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) support services and (b) training are available to help children of school age who have been convicted of a crime in (i) West Lancashire constituency and (ii) England.

Fiona Mactaggart: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood on 16 January 2006, Official Report column 1152W.

Youth Justice

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of youth recidivism; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: The most recent information on the re-offending of juveniles was published in February 2005 as 'Juvenile reconviction: results from the 2003 cohort'. Home Office On Line Report 08/05. The report is available on line at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/onlinepubs1.html.
	Results for the 2004 cohort will be published in spring, 2006.

HEALTH

A and E Targets

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards the accident and emergency waiting time target.

Jane Kennedy: At the end of 2002, almost a quarter of patients spent more than four hours in accident and emergency (AE) departments. Latest published figures show that over 98 per cent. of people are now seen and treated in less than four hours, with well over half in and out in less than two hours.
	The target that patients should be seen, treated and discharged, admitted or transferred within four hours has been met. Since the end of March 2005, 98 per cent. has been achieved or slightly exceeded. From 2005, the target became an ongoing operational standard.
	Information on the total time patients spend in AE departments from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge is routinely published on the Department's website at: www.performance.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/data_requests/index.html.

Benzene Contamination

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions (a) her Department and (b) the Food Standards Agency has had with the Food and Drug Administration in the United States on the levels of benzene in soft drinks; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency contacted the United States Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) following reports that they were investigating levels of benzene in soft drinks. The FDA confirmed that they are conducting a survey of soft drinks containing benzoate and ascorbic acid and will be assessing the results to determine whether there is a need for further action.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the financial position of the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Caroline Flint: It is the responsibility of strategic health authorities (SHAs) to deliver overall financial balance for their local health communities.
	Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals National Health Service Trust was forecasting, at month six, a deficit of 13.6 million for the financial year 200506.
	Surrey and Sussex SHA continues to work closely with the trust in order to achieve financial balance.
	In order to assist the NHS organisations that have the greatest financial problems, the Secretary of State announced turnaround teams in a written ministerial statement on 1 December 2005, Official Report, column 37WS.

Cancer Treatment (Waiting Times)

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate she has made of the average waiting times for (a) cancer surgery and (b) chemotherapy.

Rosie Winterton: We do not collect separate data on waiting times for cancer surgery or chemotherapy. The NHS Cancer Plan set out maximum waiting time targets of two months from urgent referral to first treatment and one month from diagnosis to first treatment to be achieved for all patients treated from 1 January 2006. These targets apply to surgery and chemotherapy where they are the first definitive cancer treatment.
	Data showing progress towards the achievement of these targets show that from October to December 2005, 96.8 per cent. of patients received their first treatment within one month of diagnosis with cancer and 83.9 per cent. of patients received their first treatment within two months of urgent referral by their general practitioner.

Cancer Treatment (Waiting Times)

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the NHS to meet the two-month target for cancer patients in respect of minimum waiting time from urgent GP referral to first episode of treatment.

Rosie Winterton: The target of a maximum two-month wait from urgent general practitioner referral to first treatment for all cancer patients was put into place at the end of December 2005 and should be met for all cancer patients treated from 1 January 2006. The first quarter's data, for the period January to March 2006, will be used to assess performance against these targets and will be available in June 2006.

Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are working in (a) the Cheshire and Merseyside strategic health authority and (b) Southport and Ormskirk hospital trust; how many were working in each (i) in October 2005 and (ii) at its inception; and what the associated staff costs were for each organisation in each case.

Liam Byrne: Information is not held in the format requested. However, the following tables show all national health service staff by selected group, for Cheshire and Merseyside strategic health authority (SHA) as at 30 September 2002 and 30 September 2004; all NHS staff by selected group, for Southport and Ormskirk hospital NHS trust as at 30 September 1999 and 30 September 2004; staff costs for Cheshire and Merseyside SHA, in 200203 and 200405; and staff costs for Southport and Ormskirk hospital NHS trust, in 19992000 and 200405.
	
		NHS staffselected groups for Cheshire and Merseyside SHA, as at 30 September each specified year -- Numbers (headcount)
		
			  of which: of which: Hospital and community  
			  All NHS staff All doctors(50) All general practitioners (GPS)(51) health staff(HCHS) doctors and dentists(50) HCHS non-medical staff 
		
		
			 2002 487 59 0 59 428 
			 2004 239 30 0 30 209 
		
	
	(50) Excludes hospital practitioners and clinical assistants, most of these also work as a GP.
	(51) All GPs include contracted GPs, personal medical service (PMS) others, general medical service (GMS) others, GP registrars and GP retainers.
	Note:
	Practice staff includes practice nurses, direct patient care staff, administrative and clerical and other.
	Source:
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre: General and Personal Medical Services Statistics, Medical and Dental Workforce census and Non Medical Workforce Census.
	
		NHS staffselected groups for Southport and Ormskirk Hospitals NHS trust, as at 30 September each specified year -- Numbers (headcount)
		
			   of which: of which: HCHS HCHS 
			  All NHS staff All doctors(52) All GPs(53) doctors and dentists(52) non-medical staff 
		
		
			 1999 2,750 219 0 219 2,531 
			 2004 3,323 260 0 260 3,063 
		
	
	(52) Excludes hospital practitioners and clinical assistants, most of these also work as a GP.
	(53) All GPs include contracted GPs, PMS others, GMS others, GP registrars and GP retainers.
	Source:
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre General  Personal Medical Services Statistics; Medical and Dental Workforce census and Non Medical Workforce Census.
	
		Staff costs at year of inception and in 200405 -- 
		
			  Total staff costs 
		
		
			 Cheshire and Merseyside SHA  
			 200203 7,377,000 
			 200405 7,015,000 
			   
			 Southport and Ormskirk hospital NHS trust 
			 19992000 52,788,000 
			 200405 83,225,000 
		
	
	Sources:
	Audited summarisation forms of the Cheshire and Merseyside SHA 200203 and 200405
	Audited summarisation schedules of the Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust 19992000 and 200405

Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the likely cost of redundancies in (a) Cheshire and Merseyside strategic health authority and (b) primary care trusts within Cheshire and Merseyside strategic health authority as a result of planned hospital mergers.

Liam Byrne: There are currently no definite proposals for hospital trust mergers in the Cheshire and Merseyside strategic health authority area.

Child Protection

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department takes to check whether individuals employed to work with children in the NHS through employment by an agency have been (a) on her Department's list of individuals who are considered unsuitable to work with children and (b) on the sex offenders register.

Liam Byrne: Full guidance on pre-appointment checks for national health service staff was issued by NHS employers in May 2005. The guidance covers the full range of checks required before appointments in the NHS can be confirmed, including checks with regulatory bodies (for professional staff), references, occupational health checks and Criminal Record Bureau checks. The guidance applies to all staff, whether directly employed by the NHS or not, including temporary agency staff and contractor staff and volunteers. Compliance with this guidance is monitored by the Healthcare Commission as part of the Commission's monitoring of the Standards for Better Health, which include a standard for staff recruitment checks.

Chlamydia

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there are plans to extend the Boots NHS chlamydia screening initiative in London to other parts of the country.

Caroline Flint: An evaluation of the chlamydia screening pathfinder project is being carried out concurrently with the London pilot. Decisions about whether to extend the scheme nationally will be made once the evaluation has reported.

Contraception

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many morning-after pills have been distributed by North Devon primary care trust in each of the last 48 months.

Caroline Flint: The information available is shown in the following tables. Information on emergency hormonal contraception supplied under a patient group direction, by school nurses and pharmacists is not held centrally.
	
		Occasions on which hormonal post-coital contraceptives dispensed at family planning clinics in North Devon primary care trust (PCT), 200102 to 200405
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 200102 288 
			 200203 283 
			 200304 287 
			 200405 247 
		
	
	Source:
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre, return KT31
	
		Number of items (prescriptions(54)) for emergency hormonal contraception. North Devon PCT, 2002January 2006
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2002 148 
			 2003 60 
			 2004 35 
			 2005 59 
			 2006(55) 19 
		
	
	(54) This includes community pharmacists, dispensing doctors and prescriptions submitted by prescribes whom North Devon is the responsible PCT.
	(55) January 2006 only.
	Source:
	ePACT

Dentistry

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what impact she expects the introduction of the general dental services contract will have on the availability of free dental treatment for school-age NHS patients in North West Leicestershire.

Rosie Winterton: The new general dental services contract does not alter eligibility for free national health service dental treatment for children under 18.
	Under the wider dental reforms being implemented from 1 April, it is for primary care trusts to commission and develop services in ways that best meet the needs of their local populations.
	The new contracts are designed to promote new ways of working, based on the expert clinical guidelines produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, that should, over time, support dentists in seeing a greater range of both adult and child patients, thereby improving access to dentistry.

Elder Abuse

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that effective vetting and barring mechanisms are in place to protect older people at risk of abuse.

Liam Byrne: The Protection of Vulnerable Groups Bill, published on 1 March, proposes to extend coverage of the existing barring schemes, to provide a more comprehensive and consistent measure of protection for vulnerable groups across social care, the national health service and beyond. Subject to the successful passage through Parliament of the bill, staged implementation of the new scheme will begin in 2007 with the bulk of the scheme rolled out in 2008.

Food Labelling

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the efficacy of a food labelling system based on (a) guideline daily amounts and (b) a multiple traffic lights system.

Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has undertaken a comprehensive research programme that looked at the efficacy of a number of different signposting formats. This evidence demonstrated that traffic light colours were a more effective means of providing at a glance information to consumers than purely numerical information.
	The FSA board has taken the research and the feedback from an extensive stakeholder consultation before finalising its recommendation for front of pack signpost labelling which incorporates the following core elements:
	Separate information on: fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt;
	Use of red, amber or green colour coding to provide at a glance information on the level, that is, whether high, medium or low, of individual nutrients in the product;
	Provision of information on the levels of nutrients present in a portion of the product; and
	Use of the nutritional criteria developed by the FSA.
	The FSA recognised that companies might want to include additional information, such as on guideline daily amounts.

Food Supplements

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her objectives are for the further negotiations in the EU on the proposed regulation on nutrition and health claims made on foods.

Caroline Flint: During the second reading of the proposal, the Government's objective will be to ensure a regulation which provides consumer protection but is also proportionate and does not place unnecessary burdens on businesses.

Food Supplements

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what impact assessment was carried out by the European Commission on the proposed EU regulation on nutrition and health claims made on foods.

Caroline Flint: The text of the proposal, deposited for scrutiny in both houses under Explanatory Memorandum 11646/03 in August 2003, included an impact assessment by the European Commission. A regulatory impact assessment (RIA) prepared by the Food Standards Agency was also deposited at the same time.
	The Government's RIA has been and will continue to be updated and revised to reflect progress in the negotiations on this proposal and information received from consultations with stakeholders. The most recent version was copied to the Chairmen of the European Scrutiny Committees of both Houses in April 2005.

Food Supplements

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions her Department has had with other EU member states on their requirements for inclusion on the register for health claims under the proposed EU regulation on nutrition and health claims made on foods.

Caroline Flint: EU member states are focused on the continuing negotiations more than on the detailed application of future requirements. Nevertheless, officials of the Food Standards Agency will continue to informally engage with other EU member states to seek a consistent and proportionate approach to compiling lists of specific health claims for submission to the European Commission.

Health Services (Capital Expenditure)

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what funding for capital expenditure on health services was allotted to each primary care trust in each of the past five years expressed (a) in cash terms and (b) as a percentage of the total;
	(2)  what funding each primary care trust will receive for (a) capital expenditure and (b) revenue expenditure on health services in 200607; and how much each trust received in (i) capital expenditure and (ii) revenue expenditure in 200506.

Liam Byrne: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
	However, we have only been able to supply four years worth of data. 200304 was the first year that capital allocations were made to primary care trusts. Prior to 200304, capital was allocated to regional offices, and they allocated to organisations in their patches.

Herceptin

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to make Herceptin available for the treatment of early stage breast cancer patients in the West Anglia Cancer Network area; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The responsibility for local health services now lies with the local national health service and it is for primary care trusts (PCTs) in conjunction with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders to plan and develop services to meet the needs of their local populations. As such, it is not appropriate for Ministers to intervene in local decision making.
	Policy on Herceptin for early stage breast cancer was published in the Chief Executive's bulletin on 10 November 2005 which is available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Bulletins/ChiefExecutiveBulletin/BulletinCE/fs/en?CONTENT_ID= 4122883chk=85YQSF#5491542.
	The advice remains unchanged in that
	it is down to individual clinicians to decide whether to prescribe Herceptin for a patient who has tested HER2 positive after discussions about potential risks and taking into account her medical history;
	PCTs should not refuse to fund Herceptin solely on the grounds of its cost; and
	PCTs should not rule out treatments on principle but consider individual circumstances.

Kettering General Hospital

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the purpose was of her predecessor's visit to Kettering General Hospital in February; and from which budget the cost of his transport was met.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 16 November 2005
	The visit by the Secretary of State for Defence to Kettering General Hospital was to highlight plans to reduce waiting times to a maximum of 18 weeks end-to-end. The cost of providing an official car was met by the Government in accordance with paragraph 17 of Travel by Ministers'.

Medicines

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to announce the outcome of the consultation by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Agency on the Medicines (Fees) Regulations.

Jane Kennedy: The consultation period on proposals to increase fees payable to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) ended on 3 February with a total of 66 replies being received. The great majority of responses coming from pharmaceutical companies or pharmaceutical industry associations. Of the 66 responses, 57 stated that they did not support the proposed fee increases. The majority of these responses stated that they supported the work of the MHRA and the need for the Agency to be properly funded in order to deliver its responsibilities effectively, but pointed out that fee increases of the level proposed were not warranted without a commensurate improvement in service levels received by companies. Many responses expressed concern about current levels of service, including slow turnaround of licence applications and variations. A more detailed account of the responses received can be found on the Agency's website (www.mhra.gov.uk) and copies of the replies (excluding those which have been made in confidence) can be obtained from the Agency directly.
	The proposals to introduce a new national scheme for homoeopathic products has been delayed until later this year. The implementation date will be announced in due course. The consultation responses on those fees will therefore be considered separately.
	We have considered carefully the replies received to the consultation exercise. There have been a number of enhancements to the ways in which the Agency undertakes its responsibilities to protect public health through assuring the safety, quality and efficacy of medicines in the UK. Some of these have come as a result of revised European legislation, others from improvements in monitoring the safety of medicines, including recommendations from the Health Select Committee Report on the Influence of the Pharmaceutical Industry (published 5 April 2005). These changes, alongside infrastructure costs such as pension contributions, and the fact that fee levels were frozen in 200506, have led to the additional costs to be recouped from fee income. The Agency, as a Government trading fund, is under an obligation to recover costs fully from its income from fees.
	I have concluded that the fees increases are justified and have today approved the regulations to be laid before the House, for implementation from 1 April 2006. I have, however, taken due note of the concerns expressed in the consultation about the Agency's service levels. It is reasonable that in return for increased fees, companies should expect to see improvements in the way that their business is handled. The MHRA will therefore be working with the main industry associations on how to monitor service levels, and how to ensure that changes in the Agency's information systems and organisational structure deliver the intended benefits in terms of efficiency and speed of decision-making. I will ask the Agency to report to me regularly on progress.

NHS Direct

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the role is of the NHS Direct helpline; what assessment she has made of its effectiveness; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: NHS Direct is a nationwide, nurse led, health advice and information service, which includes 24-hour telephone service, website and digital television access to health advice, information and support to people across the country. The service aims to help people make choices about their own healthcare and where necessary guide them to the most appropriate level of care to meet their needs, for example, out-of-hours, general practitioner practice or accident and emergency.
	The National Audit Office and the Commission for Health Improvement have both published reports on NHS Direct, which are available from the relevant organisation's websites.
	Ministers and departmental officials meet with NHS Direct to review their performance against a set of key performance indicators.

Nutrient Profiling

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards clear labelling of prepared foods which includes full ingredient and nutritional information and traffic light indications for fat, sugar and salt content.

Caroline Flint: Responsibility for food labelling lies with the European Union and the rules are harmonised across Europe.
	The European Commission is undertaking a comprehensive review of food labelling legislation and is currently consulting on a discussion document that sets out to establish the scope and structure of future food labelling legislation, including ingredient and nutrition labelling.
	At their meeting on 9 March, the Food Standards Agency board recommended businesses adopt four core principles for front of pack simplified nutrition labelling which uses traffic light colours to indicate whether levels of fats, saturated fat, sugar and salt in processed foods are low, medium or high.

Organ Donor Cards

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent in each year between 1995 and 2005 on publicising the carrying of organ donor cards.

Rosie Winterton: Specific expenditure for each year between 1997 to 2003 on publicising the carrying of organ donor cards is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Cost ( million) 
		
		
			 199798 0.44 
			 199899 1.53 
			 19992000 0.93 
			 200001 0.88 
			 200102 0.90 
			 200203 0.90 
			 Total 5.58 
		
	
	We do not hold records on expenditure for 199596 and 199697.
	Responsibility for promoting organ donation and encouraging people to join the NHS Organ Donor Register was given to UK Transplant from April 2003 by the Department. The budget allocated to UK Transplant for publicising organ donation was as follows:
	
		
			   
		
		
			 200304 827,000 
			 200405 827,000 
			 200506 827,000

Pandemic Influenza

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she will be taking to ensure that Tamiflu is available to individuals within 48-hours of the onset of symptoms in the event of an outbreak of pandemic influenza; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: In September 2005, the Department published a framework for the national health service regarding storage and distribution of antivirals. This is available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/pandemicflu, and provides guidance to support the development of local plans by the NHS to make those medicines available for the treatment of patients. The overall aim is to ensure that antiviral medicines are available to treat patients suffering from influenza within 48-hours of the onset of symptoms.
	The Department continues to work with the NHS in order to help them develop local plans.

Pandemic Influenza

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Government's policy is on the procurement of a generic vaccine to provide some degree of immunity in the event of an outbreak of pandemic influenza; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: There is no 'generic' vaccine currently available that could protect against any pandemic virus. At present, a pandemic vaccine cannot be manufactured until the exact flu strain is known and it will take around four to six months after a pandemic has emerged until the first stocks of a vaccine will be available. The time taken in producing a vaccine reflects the complex nature of vaccine manufacture.
	We have invited manufacturers to tender for a contract to supply 120 million doses of pandemic flu vaccine once the pandemic strain is known. The proposal to purchase in advance the capacity needed to make pandemic flu vaccine is designed to ensure that an effective vaccine is available for use in the United Kingdom as quickly as possible after a flu pandemic starts.
	We have ordered 3.7 million doses of human H5N1 vaccine and we expect to receive stocks by October 2006. Supplies may be used to conduct further research on the immune responses generated by these vaccines. These stocks could also be used to vaccinate frontline healthcare workers before a specific pandemic vaccine can be developed.

Parliamentary Questions

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reply to question 33912, tabled on 29 November 2005 by the hon. Member for Bolton South East about his constituent, Dr. R. Henman.

Jane Kennedy: A reply was given on 7 March 2006, Official Report, column 1242W.

Parliamentary Questions

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will answer Question 51575, tabled on 9 February by the hon. Member for Lancaster and Wyre for named day answer on 13 February.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 13 March 2006
	A reply was given on 9 March 2006, Official Report, column 1777W.

Sexual Health

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she is planning to launch the Government's next campaign on sexual health and chlamydia awareness.

Caroline Flint: Our current plans are to aim to launch the next sexual health campaign later this year.
	We have rolled out the national chlamydia screening programme (NCSP) successfully to 25 per cent. of primary care trusts and we expect to see screening in many other areas to begin in April 2006. This is well ahead of the 2007 target.
	The NCSP provides opportunistic screening for genital chlamydia infection and is aimed at all sexually active women and men aged between 16 and 24-years-old attending a variety of health care settings in England.

Young Carers

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department takes to (a) identify and (b) support carers aged 18 to 25 years; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Department seeks to support all carers though legislation which has strengthened the rights of carers to an assessment of their own needs as carers and involves the right to a carer's assessment. The Department's policies for carers' services apply equally to carers of all ages, including those aged 18 to 25 years.
	In our White Paper, Our health, our care, our say, we commit ourselves to a new deal for carers.
	We will:
	Update and extend the Prime Minister's strategy for carers and encourage councils and primary care trusts to nominate leads for carer's services;
	Establish a helpline to offer advice to carers;
	Ensure that, in each council area, a short-term, home based respite support to carers in crisis or emergency situations is established;
	Allocate specific funding for the creation of an expert carers programme which will provide training for carers to develop the skills they need to take greater control over their own health and the health of those in their care.

NORTHERN IRELAND

'R' Drivers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2006, Official Report, column 352W, on 'R' Drivers, what steps are being taken to reduce the number of 'R' drivers issued with fixed penalty notices in Northern Ireland; and how many 'R' drivers have had (a) their licences revoked and (b) their period of restriction extended as a result of excess speed in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: While activities are not specifically targeted at reducing the number of 'R' drivers issued with fixed penalty notices, the Department of the Environment's road safety promotional campaigns addressing the main causes of death and serious injury, including speed, are developed to particularly target the 1724 age group. As part of its road safety education programme in post-primary schools, the Department promotes the timetabling of Road Traffic Studies and GCSE Motor Vehicle and Road User Studies and provides appropriate support, training, teaching materials and resources. The Department also offers a Driver Training Scheme for 1718 year olds who hold a valid provisional licence. These activities all encourage young drivers and potential drivers to be safer road users.
	The statistics requested at (a) and (b) are not readily available and the Department will write to the hon. Gentleman with this information. In the case of (b), it should be noted that there is no legislative provision to extend the specified period of restriction as the result of a disqualification or revocation. Any time during which a person is disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence, or holds only provisional entitlement, is disregarded for the purposes of calculating the end of the specified period of restriction. The information which will be provided to the hon. Gentleman will therefore be the number of (a) 'R' drivers revoked in the last 5 years and (b) 'R' drivers revoked on grounds of excess speed.

Air Ambulance

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients have been transported by air ambulance in each of the last five years in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: There is no air ambulance service currently operating in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) defines an air ambulance as a planned inter-hopsital transfer service of patients by air. Health and social services boards occasionally transfer patients between hospitals by air, using the services of private companies and the RAF.
	The following table shows number of patients transported by air by HSS boards in the last five years.
	
		Number
		
			  NHSSB SHSSB EHSSB WHSSB 
		
		
			 200102 11 20 14 14 
			 200203 13 10 23 7 
			 200304 13 5 19 17 
			 200405 13 18 18 12 
			 200506 17 15 25 7 
			 Total 67 68 99 57 
		
	
	NIAS engages the Martime Coastguard Agency on occasions when it is necessary to evacuate a casualty from a scene using a helicopter. The following table shows number of patients evacuated from incidents in the last three calendar years. NIAS systems do not allow for collation of incidents prior to 2004.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2004 21 
			 2005 18 
			 2006 8 
			 Total 47

Animal Cruelty

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to increase sentences for those found guilty of cruelty to animals in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is finalising a review of Northern Ireland animal welfare legislation in order to identify measures which may be necessary to strengthen powers and penalties to deal with abuses of animal welfare in Northern Ireland. Following this review, steps will be taken to update current legislation and to introduce new powers and penalties to deal with new types of offences.
	It is planned to consult stakeholders after Easter on proposals to strengthen animal welfare legislation in Northern Ireland.

Correspondence

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will reply to the letter to him dated 11 November 2005 from the hon. Member for North Down in relation to the mental health unit at Ards Hospital.

Shaun Woodward: A reply will be issued this week.

Assembly Ombudsmen

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases the Northern Ireland Assembly Ombudsman has (a) been asked to deal with and (b) investigated in the last two years.

Angela Smith: I understand that the Northern Ireland Ombudsman has written to the hon. Gentleman. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library.

Asylum and Immigration

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many asylum and immigration applications are outstanding in Northern Ireland.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on how many asylum and immigration applications are outstanding in Northern Ireland is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on asylum and immigration is published annually. Copies are available from the Library of the House and on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Autism

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provision the Government have made in Northern Ireland for children with autism in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: Within the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS), funding for autistic spectrum disorders falls within the learning disability programme of care and it is not possible to detail specifically what was made available for children with autism. However, DHSSPS Priorities for Action 200405 required Health and Social Services (HSS) boards and trusts to establish multidisciplinary diagnostic, assessment and early intervention teams and as a result, in 200405, an additional 500,000 recurrent funding was allocated to HSS boards for this purpose.
	The Department of Education has advised that in the years 200304 and 200405 and additional 770,000 and 955,000 respectively was made available for children with autism.

Avian Influenza

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent steps the Government has taken to prevent an outbreak of avian influenza in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) is constantly monitoring developments and reviewing the risk of Avian Influenza being introduced to Northern Ireland. The precautionary actions taken to date include a ban on the importation of live birds and products from Avian Influenza affected areas, strengthened controls on imports of captive birds, wild bird surveillance, a ban on bird gatherings except under DARD licence, and the requirement for all bird keepers to register with the Department. Extensive guidance advice has been issued to bird keepers, directly, through stakeholder organisations and through the DARD website, on biosecurity measures including on how to plan for housing birds in the event of an outbreak. In addition, the Department has enhanced its checks at ports and airports to help prevent the possible introduction of Avian Influenza. DARD has a contingency plan in place which is being continually reviewed and updated. This plan would be invoked immediately if there was an outbreak.
	DARD is continuing to work closely with key stakeholders, including industry representatives, representatives of bird hobby organisations and wild bird interest groups. DARD and the Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety are working together to ensure that appropriate measures are taken in respect of the implications of Avian Influenza for public health. DARD is also continuing to work closely with the Department of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs and with the Department of Agriculture and Food in the Republic of Ireland in taking measures to deal with the threat of Avian Influenza.

Beef

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps the Government is taking to promote Northern Ireland beef internationally.

Angela Smith: I fully appreciate the importance, to the local beef industry, of last week's long awaited EU decision to lift the export ban on UK beef and cattle. Industry stakeholders and Government have worked tirelessly together to achieve this.
	The Government have been proactive in recent months in undertaking a wide range of vital preliminary work in readiness for the lifting of the ban, including; commissioning extensive research into export market opportunities and assessing the export potential of Northern Ireland companies; the provision of access to Food From Britain's world-wide network of international buyer contacts; and, funding a three year, 1.2 million, Beef Market Restoration Programme, carried out by the Livestock and Meat Commission, a major element of which aims to assist local companies develop successful export businesses in the long-term.
	Under current EC State Aid Rules, the spending of public money on any promotional activity is severely restricted, and Government support for promotion based solely on product origin is banned. However, I can assure the right hon. Gentleman that Government will, continue to make every effort to facilitate the complex and lengthy State Aid approval process in order to maximise benefits to industry.

Belfast International Airport

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what initiatives the Government have undertaken to promote Belfast International Airport.

Shaun Woodward: Government supports the continuing growth of Belfast International Airport, as outlined in the Air Transport White Paper 2003. However, further development of the airport and promotion of its business are matters for its private sector owner.
	In common with the other two commercial airports in Northern Ireland, Belfast International Airport has benefited in the past from the Government's Air Route Development Fund. With its assistance routes have been developed to New York, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Geneva and Nice.

Bioscience and Technology Institute

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what public funding has been allocated to MTF, and associated companies, in relation the Bioscience and Technology Institute project.

Angela Smith: Public funding paid in relation to the Bioscience and Technology Institute totalled 2,175,000. All of this public funding was paid to the Bioscience and Technology Institute, and none directly to MTF Chartered Accountants or associated companies.

Bovine TB

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2006, Official Report, column 776W, to the hon. Member for South Down (Mr. McGrady), on bovine tuberculosis, what steps he is taking to reduce the differences between the first and second tests.

Angela Smith: The difference in the test results may be due to variation in the intradermal comparative test itself or as a result of the animal response to the test. To minimise any difference due to the former, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) issues precise instructions to testing veterinary surgeons on the technique to be used, and testing veterinary surgeons are specifically trained, monitored and supervised in this.
	Variation in the animal response is recognised and is the reason for such sequential testing. DARD is currently carrying out a pilot exercise to investigate the potential use of the gamma interferon blood test to assist in the detection of bovine TB in certain circumstances in Northern Ireland.

Brain Tumours

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to (a) reduce waiting times and (b) increase access to radiotherapy for brain tumour patients in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: There is no evidence to suggest that there is any difficulty accessing radiotherapy services in Northern Ireland.
	A national audit of radiotherapy waiting times has recently been carried out by the Royal College of Radiologists. Data were collected for all patients who commenced treatment in Northern Ireland during the week beginning 26 September 2005. The results confirm that waiting times for all radiotherapy patients, including patients with brain tumours, in Northern Ireland were in line with national guidelines.

Civil Service (Travel Expenses)

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on travel expenses by each Department of the Northern Ireland Civil Service in each year since 2000.

David Hanson: The following table provides a breakdown of the costs for each financial year from 19992000 to date for the 11 Departments and the NIO.
	The breakdown of figures are provided by financial year rather than calendar year as all financial information, including travel costs, is held by Departments by financial year.
	Costs include all travel by Standard Mileage rate, Public Transport rate, air, rail, sea, bus and cycle travel. Figures also include car parking costs.
	
		Travel costs by Financial Year -- 
		
			  19992000 200001 200102 200203 200304 200405 2005 28 February 2006 
		
		
			 DARD 2,689,913.53 2,908,586.29 3,144,327.44 2,631,764.34 3,183,046.83 3,220,450.96 2,861,958.41 
			 DCAL (56)n/a 103,052.00 138,737.00 125,820.00 94,912.00 85,006.00 83,314.00 
			 DE 407,536.94 393,362.15 410,744.58 389,922.89 420,634.88 404,826.70 312,497.06 
			 DEL 819,084.00 774,361.00 675,859.00 730,847.00 730,951.00 792,316.00 465,581.00 
			 DFP (57)n/a 811,049.00 850,128.00 871,469.00 769,208.00 838,055.00 742,079.00 
			 DHSSPS 526,790.00 391,510.00 444,509.00 438,984.00 521,337.00 467,161.00 392,796.00 
			 DSD 1,174.38 110,947.07 193,239.81 184,327.26 237,876.01 271,347.87 167,519.06 
			 OFMDFM (58)n/a 456,049.01 514,099.53 591,976.99 385,243.49 364,494.23 231,091.57 
			 DETI 1,005,404.22 1,137,531.24 1,099,968.99 394,951.54 386,164.43 389,030.27 294,185.32 
			 NIO 1,195,107.00 1,236,743.00 1,299,549.00 1,474,632.00 1,463,167.00 1,359,458.00 1,064,841.00 
			 DRD 60,729.00 203,424.00 185,461.00 188,145.00 156,195.00 153,596.00 124,876.00 
			 DOE 56,250.00 181,911.00 139,706.00 171,344.00 198,612.00 191,316.00 206,512.00 
		
	
	(56) DCAL travel would be included in the figures for DARD, DENI and DOE.
	(57) DFP costs are not available on the accounting system. To provide figures would require a manual check at disproportionate cost.
	(58) OFMDFM would have been processed by DFP.

Civil Service Pensions

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to include in the Civil Service Pension Scheme survey interviewers who work for Government departments and agencies in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: Survey interviewers are remunerated on a fee-paid basis and as such are not included in the Civil Service Pension Scheme. Their terms of appointment specify that they are outwith Civil Service superannuation arrangements.

Dental Access Centres

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to increase the number of NHS dental access centres in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: There are no health service dental access centres in Northern Ireland and, at present, I have no plans to introduce any.
	General dental practitioners are the main providers of dental services in Northern Ireland. There is approximately one general dental practitioner for every 2,400 people in Northern Ireland. This compares to one practitioner for every 2,773 people in England, Scotland and Wales.
	The full range of dental services they provide is supplemented by the Community Dental Service, operating under the control of health and social services trusts, which has a specific role in treating patients with learning difficulties and screening school children. The Community Dental Service also acts as a 'safety net' in circumstances where the services of a general dental practitioner cannot be obtained.
	My Department has developed a new primary care dental strategy, which was issued for consultation on 13 December 2005. This sets the oral health agenda for the next 10 years. It identifies the oral health needs of the Northern Ireland population, determines desired outcomes and identifies areas where oral health can link into the wider health agenda. The strategy has been developed around the local commissioning of services, where commissioners would be responsible for the delivery of primary care dental services to their population in keeping with local needs.

Departmental Refreshments

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent on refreshments in each department for which he has responsibility in each of the last three years.

David Hanson: All departments, including the Northern Ireland Office, replied that they were unable to distinguish between money spent on refreshments and other hospitality costs, due to the way in which spend is coded. The total spend on hospitality, which includes refreshments over the last three financial years was:
	
		
			   
		
		
			 200203 926,703 
			 200304 949,823 
			 200405 897,409 
		
	
	To obtain the costs incurred on refreshments separately could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Employment Statistics

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people receiving benefits moved back into employment in Northern Ireland in the last three years for which figures are available.

David Hanson: Comprehensive information on the flows of all customers into employment by benefit is not currently available. A new system capable of providing this data is being developed and is scheduled to be in place by summer 2006.
	In the interim, information on flows to employment is available for Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) and New Deal programmes and is shown as follows:
	
		
			  Calendar years 
			  2003 2004 2005 
		
		
			 Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)  Flows into work(59) 31,241 27,766 25,255 
		
	
	(59) This information is based on self-reported data volunteered by claimants of JSA at the point of terminating their claim to benefit.
	
		
			  Financial years 
			  200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 New Deal for 1824 year olds (moving into unsubsidised employment.) 2,213 2,190 1,977 
			 New Deal for 1824 year olds (moving into unsubsidised and subsidised employment.) 2,398 2,400 2,168 
			 New Deal 25+ (moving into unsubsidised employment.) 1,659 1,329 1,249 
			 New Deal 25 + (moving into unsubsidised and subsidised employment.) 1,874 1,490 1,411 
			 New Deal for Disabled People 444 509 482 
			 New Deal for Lone Parents (moving into part-time employment) 249 167 170 
			 New Deal for Lone Parents (moving into full-time employment) 1,967 1,227 1,171 
			 Bridge to Employment 376 440 603

Food Retail Sector

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what policies have been put in place to promote and support small businesses in the food retail sector in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: It is not Government policy to provide direct financial assistance to established small businesses in the retail sector (including food retail). Such assistance is limited to sectors with the potential to export such as manufacturing (including food processing) and tradeable services. Support is, however, available to individuals starting a business in food retail through the Start a Business Programme (SABp), delivered on Invest NI's behalf by Enterprise Northern Ireland. Government also supports Sector Skills Council (SSCs) to identify and address skills needs. These include Improve Limited, for the food processing sector, and Skillsmart, for the retail sector. The SSCs are required to work with Government, educators and employers to meet these skill needs.

Global Point (Newtownabbey)

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reasons the building of industrial premises on grounds at Global Point, Newtownabbey, has not begun; and when he expects the first sod to be cut at the site.

Angela Smith: Further development at Global Point, including the building of industrial premises, is not expected until after the Public Inquiry into the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan is completed. The draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan (BMAP) is a material consideration in determining current planning applications for Global Point. No decision has yet been reached in respect of the proposals.
	Planning Service published a Plan Amendment to BMAP on 14 February 2006 which has addressed some of the issues raised in earlier consultations. Its publication initiated an 8-week consultation period which expires on 11 April 2006.
	Planning Service will, in the near future, formally request the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) to hold a public inquiry into the objections and counter objections. Timetabling for the Public Inquiry is the responsibility of the PAC, which is an independent body.

Greencastle-Magilligan Ferry

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the vehicular traffic using the Greencastle-Magilligan ferry in 2005 originated in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the Republic of Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: Limavady borough council advise that for the period July 2005 to 7 March 2006 81,259 vehicles used the Greencastle-Magilligan ferry of which 43 per cent. originated in Northern Ireland and 57 per cent. originated in the Republic of Ireland. Figures in the format requested for all of 2005 are not available.

Health and Social Services Councils

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his Answer of 7 March 2006, Official Report, column 1324W, on Health and Social Services Councils, what percentage of the population of each Board area each figure represents.

Shaun Woodward: The information in the table shows the number of people assisted by the Health and Social Services Councils and the percentage population of the relevant Board area that these figures represent.
	
		
			  NHSSC EHSSC SHSSC WHSSC 
			  Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			 200203 675 0.16 n/a n/a 84 0.03 n/a n/a 
			 200304 804 0.19 1,176 0.18 100 0.03 40 0.01 
			 200405 803 0.19 1,442 0.22 100 0.03 42 0.02 
		
	
	n/a=Not available.

Hospital Doctors

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many junior house doctors there were in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is presented in the following table:
	
		Junior House Doctors employed within the NI HPSS as at September 200105
		
			  Medical Department Dental Department Total 
			  PRHO SHO PRHO/SHO PRHO/SHO 
			 As at September each year: Headcount WTE Headcount WTE Headcount WTE Headcount WTE 
		
		
			 2001 188 188.0 720 710.2 16 16.0 924 914.2 
			 2002 214 213.5 725 718.7 19 19.0 958 951.2 
			 2003 223 223.0 810 806.3 18 18.0 1,051 1,047.3 
			 2004 222 222.0 862 859.1 20 20.0 1,104 1,101.1 
			 2005 234 234.0 882 877.4 21 21.0 1,137 1,132.4 
		
	
	Notes:
	PRHO=Pre-Registration House Officer / Post-Registration House Officer
	SHO=Senior House Officer
	WTE=Whole-Time Equivalent
	Source:
	Human Resource Management System

Hospital Doctors

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients on average are looked after by junior house doctors (a) during the day and (b) at night in (i) the Royal Victoria hospital, (ii) the City hospital, (iii) the Ulster hospital, (iv) Whiteabbey hospital, (v) Altnagelvin hospital, (vi) Craigavon hospital and (vii) Daisyhill hospital, Newry in the latest period for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: Information on the number of patients on average who are looked after by junior house doctors (a) during the day and (b) at night is not available. Information is available on the number of junior house doctors working in each hospital at September 2004 as is the number of admissions to each hospital over the course of the year 200405. From this information the average number of admissions to each hospital per junior house doctor can be calculated and is shown in the following table for the year 200405. It should be noted that not all admissions will have been treated by a junior house doctor.
	
		Average number of admissions(60) in 200405 per WTE junior house doctor(61)
		
			 Hospital Number 
		
		
			 Royal Victoria Hospital 322 
			 Belfast City Hospital 682 
			 Ulster Hospital 463 
			 Whiteabbey Hospital 369 
			 Altnagelvin Hospital 475 
			 Craigavon Hospital 454 
			 Daisy Hill Hospital 687 
		
	
	(60) Deaths and discharges from hospital used as an approximation for admissions.
	(61) The number of whole-time equivalent staff used in calculation.
	Source:
	Hospital In-patients System and Human Resource Management System.

Hospital Doctors

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many consecutive nights on average were worked by junior house doctors in Northern Ireland in the latest period for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not available. The Department monitors compliance with the European working time directive (EWTD) for junior doctors but the monitoring confines itself to the parameters of the directivetotal hours worked, allowing 11 hours off work in any 24 hour period. It further requires a 24 hour period off work in any seven days or alternatively 48 hours in 14 days. This allows for a wide range of working patterns. The EWTD does not state any requirement with respect to working on consecutive nights. The last monitoring round (autumn 2005) demonstrated 73 per cent. compliance with the directive.

Illiteracy

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps the Government are taking to tackle illiteracy in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The Essential Skills Strategy, launched by the Department for Employment and Learning in October 2002, aims to support adults throughout Northern Ireland to improve their literacy and numeracy skills.
	The Strategy is designed to increase awareness and encourage learners most in need to participate in provision, progress their skills and gain recognised qualifications. Learning takes place in a variety of contexts including, for example, in the workplace, the family and communities, to ensure it is flexible and meets the needs of the learner. Tutor education has also been supported to raise the quality of teaching across Essential Skills provision.
	The Department has met, and exceeded, its interim target of supporting 25,000 Essential Skills learners by March 2005.

Illiteracy

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the illiteracy rate was in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) each constituency in Northern Ireland in the latest period for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Strangford (Mrs. Robinson) on 7 February 2006, Official Report, column 1144W.

Medicine Reviews

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the potential impact on costs in Northern Ireland of ensuring (a) that patients comply with dosing regimens and (b) that effective medicine review processes are carried out;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost impact on the NHS of the effective use of medicine reviews by pharmacists and GPs in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and the Health and Personal Social Services are pursuing a number of integrated initiatives targeted at delivering savings in expenditure on pharmaceutical products amounting to 55 million by 200708. Some of these are designed to enable patients, supported where appropriate by professional advice, to use their medication more effectively and thereby improve their quality of care, and these are estimated to deliver savings in the order of 16 million by 200708.

NHS Dentistry

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average cost was of a national health service dental check-up in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: There are three levels of cost for a health service dental examination, depending on the intensity of the examination. The vast majority of examinations are at the lower level. Details of the cost to patients of each type of examination are set out in the following table.
	
		
		
			  Clinical examination Extensive clinical examination Full case assessment 
		
		
			 200102 5.12 7.40 16.08 
			 200203 5.32 7.96 16.64 
			 200304 5.48 8.20 17.16 
			 200405 5.64 8.44 17.64 
			 200506 5.84 8.72 18.24

Older People

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many primary care trusts in Northern Ireland have an integrated falls and osteoporosis service as required by the national service framework for older people in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: The national service framework for older people does not apply in Northern Ireland. However, the Department published a 'Home Accident Prevention Strategy' in November 2004, which includes a target to reduce by 25 per cent. the number of older people admitted to hospital as a result of falls by 2009.
	The HSS trusts in Northern Ireland are working to develop integrated services to achieve the target and progress is being monitored by a multi-agency Home Accident Prevention Strategy Implementation Group which was established to oversee the implementation of the strategy and to report annually to the Ministerial Group on Public Health.

Osteoporosis

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Our Health, Our Care, Our Say on (a) the management of osteoporosis, (b) patient choice and (c) the number of osteoporotic fractures in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: The White Paper Our health, our care, our say: a new director for community services, sets out the Department of Health's policy for the development of primary, community and social care services in England.
	In Northern Ireland, the overall direction of travel for primary health and social care services over the next two decades was set out in the Department's primary care strategic framework, Caring for People Beyond Tomorrow, which was published in October 2005. The framework provides for greater patient choice and for the development of programmes for the better management of a range of chronic conditions. It also sets out a plan detailing actions to be taken over the next few years and development in England will be considered as the detailed implementation of the framework is taken forward.

Osteoporosis

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to increase the information and support offered to osteoporosis sufferers in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: My Department is raising awareness of osteoporosis through a range of strategies and action plans designed to encourage regular exercise, a balanced diet, smoking prevention/cessation and a responsible approach to alcohol consumption.
	The Health and Personal Social Services in Northern Ireland currently provide a wide range of information and support to people with osteoporosis. This includes lifestyle advice such as the need to sustain an adequate diet including calcium and vitamin D, information and advice about preventing falls, and the use of medicines both to treat osteoporosis or to prevent it. The forms of intervention and support used in connection with osteoporosis depend on a number of factors, including whether it is to prevent or treat osteoporosis, the risk factors involved, the age and gender of the individual patient, the propensity to fracture and the extent of co-existing disease.

Outdoor Events

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what guidance he has issued to local councils in Northern Ireland on contracts offered to private firms in respect of large-scale outdoor events.

Angela Smith: The Department of the Environment has issued no specific guidance relating to contracts offered to private firms in respect of large-scale outdoor events. However, councils have access to guidance on public procurement policy on the Central Procurement Directorate website.

Pensions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the workforce in Northern Ireland he estimates to be making (a) no provision for retirement pension and (b) insufficient provision for retirement pension.

David Hanson: Results from the Family Resources Survey 2004/05 show that 3.5 per cent. of the Northern Ireland workforce has no provision for state pension. 47.4 per cent. of the workforce has no provision for private pensions and 2.9 per cent. has no provision for, either, state pension or private pensions.
	Data are not available to enable an estimate to be made of the percentage of the workforce in Northern Ireland making insufficient provision for retirement pension.
	Notes:
	1. Figures refer to persons from working age 20 to state pension age who are either full or part-time employed (whether employees or self-employed) and do not include those not working. 2. Estimates are taken from the Family Resources Survey 2004/05 which is the latest year for which data are available. 3. Members who are contributing to a private pension scheme include those who are building up rights within a salary related scheme, those who are currently contributing to a scheme or whose employer makes a contribution on their behalf. Private pension refers to an occupational, personal or stakeholder pension scheme. 4. Individuals who contribute to both occupational and personal schemes are counted only once in these estimates.

Planning Applications

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the change was over the previous year in the numbers of planning applications submitted in (a) 2000 and (b) 2005 in Northern Ireland; and what the change was between 2000 and 2005.

Angela Smith: The information is as follows:
	(a) The difference in the numbers of planning applications received in 19992000 compared to those in 200001 was an increase of 1,539 representing a 7 per cent. increase on the previous year.
	(b) The difference in the numbers of planning applications received in 200304 compared to those in 200405 was an increase of 3,244 representing a 10 per cent. increase on the previous year.
	The overall difference in the numbers of planning applications received in 200001 and 200405 was an increase of 12,563 representing a 53 per cent. increase over the period.

Primary Schools (Absenteeism)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average absenteeism rate was per 1,000 pupils in primary schools in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: Figures for 200405 are not yet available. The requested information for the previous years is as follows:
	
		
			  Academic year Average absenteeism rate per 1,000 pupils 
		
		
			 199596 61 
			 199697 57 
			 199798 58 
			 199899 55 
			 19992000 53 
			 200001 52 
			 200102 50 
			 200203 56 
			 200304 52

Pupil Funding

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to increase the average funding per schoolchild in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: I have already taken steps to increase the funding for school pupils in Northern Ireland. In 200607 the Department of Education's recurrent budget for schools and related support services has increased by 4.4 per cent. at a time when pupil numbers are falling. Funding for schools' delegated budgets is rising by 41 million in 200607an increase of 5.4 per cent. in per pupil termsand funding for Education and Library Board budgets for school related services is increasing by 14 million, or 4 per cent. In addition, school children will benefit from the Children and Young People Funding Package, announced on 8 March, which is providing new funding totalling 61 million for a range of services over the next two years.

Recycling

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to increase (a) recycling and (b) composting in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: A number of new initiatives, measures and targets aimed at increasing recycling and composting across Northern Ireland have been incorporated in the new Waste Management Strategy, scheduled for publication on 30 March 2006.

Regional Aid (Warrenpoint)

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he proposes to seek clearance by the European Commission to grant regional aid to the port of Warrenpoint; how much regional aid he proposes to grant the port; for what purposes the regional aid is intended to be used; and whether the grant would be repayable.

Shaun Woodward: Warrenpoint Harbour Authority is seeking grant support towards a deep-water quay and the upgrading of the RoRo facility in order to maintain existing trade. Final decisions have not yet been taken on whether to grant aid the port and on what conditions, including any clawback arrangements, might be made. Decisions will be taken in light of economic and financial considerations and statutory requirements. Depending on the decisions taken clearances will be sought from the European Commission as necessary. A provisional allocation of 13.4 million has been included in the current departmental budget.

Road Service

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans Road Service has to improve the footpath along Strabane Old Road, Derry.

Shaun Woodward: The Chief Executive of Road Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbin, dated 16 March 2006
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question regarding what plans Road Service has to improve the footpath along Strabane Old Road, Derry.
	As this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service, I have been asked to reply.
	I can advise that there are no plans to carry out any significant maintenance or resurfacing works to the footways along the Strabane Old Road. Staff will, however, continue to carry out regular inspections to identify any future deterioration and will subsequently arrange for remedial works to be undertaken if required.
	I hope this information is helpful.

School Buildings (Finance)

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many school buildings in Northern Ireland have been (a) provided and (b) commenced in each of the last five years using public private partnership financing.

Angela Smith: There have been four schools built in Northern Ireland using public private partnership (PPP) funding. Three of these have become operational since 2001: Wellington College, Belfast and Balmoral High School, Belfast, opened in January 2002; and St. Genevieve's High School, Belfast opened in February 2002. Since 2001, 10 projects involving 30 schools have been announced as PPP projects and are at various stages of the procurement process, prior to agreement of contracts.
	Procurement routes for the schools included in the Capital Allocations announcement on 1 March will be determined shortly by the Department of Education and the Strategic Investment Board.

School Buses (Overcrowding)

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will ask the Children's Commissioner to undertake an urgent review of overcrowding on buses transporting school children in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The Commissioner for Children and Young People (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 sets out the functions of the Commissioner who is independent of Government. The Commissioner has a specific duty to keep under review the adequacy and effectiveness of law and practice relating to the rights and welfare of children and young people. Clearly, how the Commissioner exercises that duty is a matter for him. A high level economic appraisal of the four main recommendations of the Northern Ireland Assembly's Inquiry into home to school transport was completed recently and included the abolition of '3 for 2' and the introduction of 'no standing'. We are currently considering how to take this issue forward.

School Vandalism

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent on repairing damage to schools caused by vandalism in each of the education and board areas in Northern Ireland in 2005.

Angela Smith: The costs of repairing vandalism met by each Education and Library Board in controlled and maintained schools in 2005 are as follows.
	
		
			   
		
		
			 Belfast 125,861 
			 Western 48,117 
			 North Eastern 155,249 
			 South Eastern 116,731 
			 Southern 170,000 
		
	
	The cost of vandalism to voluntary grammar and grant maintained integrated schools is not available. Such costs are borne by individual schools from their LMS budget(s) or are the subject of insurance claims.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of (a) HIV, (b) chlamydia, (c) gonorrhoea, (d) syphilis, (e) genital warts and (f) genital herpes there have been in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

Shaun Woodward: The number of cases of (a) HIV, (b) chlamydia, (c) gonorrhoea, (d) syphilis, (e) genital warts and (f) genital herpes, seen at genito-urinary medicine clinics in Northern Ireland, in each of the last 10 years is presented in the following table.
	
		
			  (a) HIV (b) Chlamydia (c) Gonorrhoea (d) Syphilis (e) Genital Warts (f) Genital Herpes 
		
		
			 1996 16 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1997 9 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1998(62) 9 906 100 8 3,934 293 
			 1999 14 1,019 147 15 3,101 311 
			 2000 19 1,297 181 6 3,030 411 
			 2001 20 1,300 198 20 2,931 434 
			 2002 27 1,552 154 27 3,002 397 
			 2003 32 1,816 193 25 2,948 359 
			 2004 63 2,051 159 69 2,798 328 
			 2005(63) 53 1,757 201 68 2,399 265 
		
	
	(62) 1998 calendar year data is unavailable for (b) to (f). Figures shown are for the financial year 199899.
	(63) Information for 2005 is for 1 January to 30 September only, and is provisional, only for (b) to (f).
	Note:
	1. Information for (b) to (f) is not available for calendar years 1996 and 1997.
	Source:
	Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre Northern Ireland (CDSC (NI)).

Social Security Fraud

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were convicted of social security fraud in Northern Ireland in 2005.

David Hanson: 253 people were convicted for social security fraud in Northern Ireland for the period 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2006.

Sperrin Lakeland Health and Social Care Trust

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the religious breakdown is of each grade of employee in the Sperrin Lakeland Health and Social Care Trust.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not available in the format requested. However the information is available by Terms and Conditions Group and is presented in the following table.
	
		Religious breakdown of staff employed within the Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust by Terms and Conditions Group as at March 2005
		
			  Protestant Catholic Unknown 
			 TC Group HC(64) WTE(65) HC(64) WTE(65) HC(64) WTE(65) 
		
		
			 Admin and Clerical 211 188.14 331 293.04 9 6.15 
			 Ancillary and General 408 187.89 657 265.60 35 10.98 
			 Nursing and Midwifery 698 328.54 1820 867.63 90 36.93 
			 Social Services 95 83.29 259 223.57 16 11.77 
			 Professional and Technical 98 84.69 202 177.12 8 6.09 
			 Medical and Dental 27 21.27 44 36.02 97 92.08 
			 Total 1,537 893.82 3,313 1,862.98 255 164.00 
		
	
	(64) Headcount.
	(65) Whole-Time Equivalent.
	Source:
	Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust.

Student Drop-outs

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2006, Official Report, columns 3967W on student drop-outs, what steps are being taken to reduce the number of students dropping out of their courses.

Angela Smith: All further education students have an Individual Student Learning Agreement aimed at reducing the number of students failing to complete courses, through improved initial assessment to identify students' needs and by providing ongoing advice and support. In addition, a Performance Related Pay Scheme for College Directors was introduced in 200304 academic year, a requirement of which is for Directors to seek to improve the retention rates of students.

Teenage Pregnancy

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the estimated average cost to public funds is of a teenage pregnancy in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: The Centre for Economic and Social Exclusion in 2000 estimated the cost to the Exchequer (unemployment benefits and administration costs, plus tax revenue foregone) at 17,820 per unemployed person 1 . Updating this figure for general inflation to 200405, the cost becomes 20,150.
	1 Bivand, P. Centre for Economic and Social Exclusion, 2000

Teenage Pregnancy

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the conception rate was for 16 year olds and under in each of the last five years in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not available. Only the number of births by age is collected.

Teenage Pregnancy

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the conception rate was for (a) 19, (b) 18, (c) 17, (d) 16, (e) 15 (f) 14 and (g) 13-year-olds in each of the four health boards in each of the last 10 years.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not available. Only the number of births by age is collected.

Teenage Sexual Activity

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of sexually active 15-year-olds in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The information is not available. However, a school-based survey of young people's behaviour and attitudes undertaken by the Central Survey Unit of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency in 2000 and 2003 indicated that of those who answered the question on sexual experience 13.0 per cent. of 15-year-old girls in 2000 and 14.3 per cent. of 15-year-old girls in 2003 had experienced sexual intercourse.

Traffic Survey (Greenhaw Road)

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the last traffic survey on the Greenhaw Road was carried out; and what the main findings of the survey were.

Shaun Woodward: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbin, dated 16 March 2006
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question regarding when the last traffic survey was carried out on the Greenhaw Road; and what were the main findings of the survey.
	As this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service, I have been asked to reply.
	The most recent traffic survey on Greenhaw Road, Derry, was carried out on 20 October 2004, as part of the data collection for the Derry Transport Study.
	The survey showed that during peak hour times the following number of vehicles used Greenhaw Road:
	
		
			  AM Peak (08:1509:15) PM Peak (17:1518:15) 
		
		
			 Westbound  (i.e. towards Racecourse Road) 277 407 
			 Eastbound  (i.e. towards Culmore Road) 257 374 
		
	
	I hope this information is helpful.

Young People

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many young people were not in employment, education or training in each (a) ward, (b) county and (c) constituency in Northern Ireland in each of the last 20 years.

David Hanson: It is not possible to answer the question exactly as asked. The tables giving the number of 16 to 24-year-olds who are not in employment, education or training in each Local Government District, Parliamentary Constituency and Electoral Ward in Northern Ireland from the 2001 Census, have been placed in the Library. Sample surveys, that can provide time series statistics, cannot provide robust estimates for the small areas requested.